Rapper Saafir, 54, Died of Septic Shock and Intestine Inflammation, Death Certificate Shows: Report

Mar. 15, 2025

Saafir performing in Chicago in 1994.Photo:Raymond Boyd/Getty

Raymond Boyd/Getty

RapperSaafir’s cause of death has been revealed.

Gibson rose to fame alongside Xzibit and Ras Kass as part of the Golden State Project. He also rapped with Digital Underground, and released a number of solo albums.

Saafir posing backstage in Chicago in September 1994.Raymond Boyd/Getty

The Oakland, Calif.-based star appeared in the 1993 movieMenace II Society, as well as in music videos for stars like50 CentandMya.

Gibson was injured in a 1992 plane crash, which kickstarted a series of longstanding spinal issues that he kept largely hidden from the public, according to theLos Angeles Times. He reportedly had a spinal tumor removed in 2005, and used a wheelchair for most of the last 10 years.

“I can’t believe I’m writing this right now, but don’t know what else to do at the moment,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”

(L-R) Saafir, Craig Mack, The D.O.C. and the Notorious B.I.G. in Chicago in 1994.Raymond Boyd/Getty

Xzibit continued, writing, “We surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him. He can rest now… My soul is crushed. We love you Bro.”

“Growing up, I really believed that you were a superhero and I watched you create profound greatness from nothing but a passion for hip-hop,” he wrote. “I feel a deep pain inside me that I will never recover from, and I am still searching for ways to ease this feeling ❤️‍🩹.”

source: people.com