Saafir has died at the age of 54.
The rapper - whose real name was Reggie Gibson - was a member of the group Golden State Project alongside Ras Kass and Xzibit, and the latter confirmed his passing on social media.
Without revealing a cause of death, he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (19.11.24) night: "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. 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.
"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 the start of his career, Saafir lived with late musician Tupac Shakur and became a dancer for Digital Underground., for which he would eventually make some of his first recordings as a rap artist.
He released his debut album 'Boxcar Sessions' in 1994 and 'Trigonometry', as well as 'The Hit List' and 'Good Game: The Transition' came in the years that followed.
His final release was in the form of an EP titled 'Fast Lane', which came out in 2009.
Away from music, Saafir appeared in the 1993 film 'Menace II Society' opposite Jada Pinkett Smith, in what was her big-screen debut.
In 1992, the rapper was aboard on TWA Flight 843, which crashed shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport and he suffered a a back injury as a result of the incident.
In later years, he underwent spinal surgery but suffered complications and ended up in a wheelchair.
