Rapper Saafir passes away at 54

Saafir, the legendary rapper from Oakland, has died at the age of 54.

On Thursday, Saafir's close friend and fellow emcee Xzibit shared a heartfelt post on social media announcing the rapper's death.

Xzibit revealed that he learned of his "brother" Saafir'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 wrote on his Instagram handle alongside a snap of Saafir.

He further wrote,"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."

Tagging Saafir's younger brother and son in the post, the 50-year-old rapper urged fans to reach out to them as "The family really needs to be supported."

"My soul is crushed. We love you, Bro," he added. "REST IN POWER. Saafir The Saucee Nomad."

As per TMZ, Saafir, whose real name is Reggie Gibson, had struggled with a series of health issues in recent years.

He recently underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his spine.