Rapper Saafir breathes his last at 54

Saafir, the rapper whose real name is Reggie Gibson, has passed away at the age of 54.

The news was confirmed by Saafir’s close friend and fellow emcee Xzibit on Tuesday, November 19, via an Instagram post.

Xzibit, whose real name is Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, penned that he learned of his former Golden State Project bandmate’s death at approximately 8:45 a.m. that day.

"I can’t believe I’m writing this right now, but I don’t know what else to do at the moment," he began. "We have so much history, and I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now. We surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him. He can rest now."

In the post, Xzibit, 50, also tagged Saafir’s younger brother and son, urging fans and the community to reach out to them as "The family really needs to be supported."

"My soul is crushed. We love you, Bro," he concluded, signing off with, "REST IN POWER. Saafir The Saucee Nomad."

The emotional tribute was the caption of a portrait featuring the Oakland-born rapper.

In addition to being the band member with Xzibit, who the late rapper as his "brother" and Ras Kass in the Golden State Project, Saafir was also a key figure in the influential rap group Digital Underground, which was formed in 1987 and included other notable artists like Shock G and Tupac Shakur.

Additionally, while the cause of his death has not been officially confirmed, TMZ reported that Saafir had struggled with a series of health issues in recent years.

The rapper had reportedly been using a wheelchair after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his spine.