SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Gift of Gab, legendary rapper of the Bay Area iconic duo Blackalicious, has died. He was 50.
“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, of which he was also a member, said in a joint statement. “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 to Rolling Stone that Parker died of natural causes. The rapper had suffered from kidney failure and was undergoing dialysis a week until he received a new kidney in January 2020.
Parker was born in Sacramento and met his future bandmate Xavier Mosley in the 1980s. Blackalicious was formed in 1992 while Mosley attended UC Davis. Parker and Mosley released their debut single “Swan Lake” two years later.
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