Bay Area rapper Saafir the Saucee Nomad has died aged 54

20 November, 2024

Rapper Saafir performs at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, Illinois in September 1994.

West Coast rapper Saafir the Saucee Nomad has died. He was aged 54.

The artist was most famed for his time as part of the Golden State Warriors (or Golden State Project) – a hip-hop collective that gained a devoted following in the Bay Area throughout the late ‘90s. He was a part of the band alongside Xzibit and Ras Kass.

News of his death was confirmed by Xzibit, who shared an update on social media paying tribute. He also said that the rapper – whose real name was Reggie Gibson – passed away on Tuesday morning (November 19).

“I can’t believe I’m writing this right now, but don’t know what else to do at the moment. Approximately at 8:45am this morning, my brother Reggie known to the world as Saafir passed away,” he wrote, sharing a photo of his former groupmate.  “We have so much history 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.”

He continued: “Friends, Family, everyone that rocked with us from the Hip Hop community, if you could be so solid and reach out for @chopblack his younger brother, and @lilsaafir his son, the family really needs to be supported during this time. That’s all I have right now. My soul is crushed. We love you Bro.”

At time of writing, few details are known about the circumstances of Saafir’s cause of death. A source speaking to TMZ said that the rapper had been living with a number of health issues over recent years, and died in his hometown of Oakland.

According to reports, the artist had a cancerous tumour removed from his spine and later went on to begin using a wheelchair. So far, the cause of his death has not been publicly shared.

Since the news broke, countless fans and fellow artists have been taking to social media to share their respects for the late artist. Writing on X/Twitter, one person wrote: “Top five dead or alive. One of the most unique voices, style technicians, and personalities in Hip-Hop history. There’s not an emcee on earth that had a style like his before him. Truly one of one.”

DJ AUDIO1 also shared a post, which read: “A sad day for the Bay. Another legend has left this earth. Thank you for all the amazing music. Rest in paradise to the Saucee Nomad aka Mr. No No aka Master of Trigonometry, Saafir”, while someone else called him: “An Oakland and bay area legend and one of the fiercest, most original, and best MCs of the mid 1990s”.

“RIP Saafir, the saucy nomad, a philosopher of train yards, cracked time & concrete. One of the greatest battlers to ever destroy, a master lyrical technician w/ cadences still too futuristic for modern mathematics to decipher. A Bay legend, inventing rhythms unbound by gravity,” another wrote, while another named him an “underappreciated legend”.

Find more tributes below.

 

Aside from his time in Golden State Warriors, Saafir also had worked as a dancer for Digital Underground – appearing on their ‘The Body Hat Syndrome’ in 1993 – as well as 2Pac’s roommate.

Other accolades included an acting role in Menace II Society, the release of his 1994 debut solo album ‘Boxcar Sessions’, which was released under Quincy Jones’ Qwest Records label, and being named as one of the Most Underappreciated Hip-Hop Artists of the ‘90s by Complex in 2015.

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