Gift of Gab, Emcee from Bay Area duo Blackalicious known for his clever wordplay and tricky rhyming acrobatics, has passed away at the age of 50.
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“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear brother, Timothy J. Parker a.k.a. “The Gift of Gab,” the hip-hop collective Quannum announced Friday. “Tim peacefully departed this earth to be with our ancestors on Friday, June 18, 2021. He is survived by two brothers, one sister, many nieces and nephews, countless friends, and fans across the globe. We ask that the family’s privacy is respected as we mourn the tremendous loss of our dear brother.”
A representative for Blackalicious confirmed that Parker died of natural causes. In recent years, the rapper suffered from kidney failure, undergoing dialysis multiple times a week until finally receiving a new kidney in January 2020, which also marked Blackalicious’ final concert prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
#RIPGiftOfGab
RIP Gift of Gab. A behemoth blessed w/ a tuba baritone traveling at light speed, who bent language and split syllables into wild color & weird shapes. The analog arsonist, a virtuoso defining the late 90s/earlys 00s underground. An unforgettable force, eternally first in flight. pic.twitter.com/wy8UFPx1jp
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) June 25, 2021
