A pioneer of the rap group Dem Franchise Boyz has passed away. Gerald “Buddie” Tiller was battling cancer and was confirmed to have passed away by the group.
Buddie was part of the group which produced the hit “Lean wit it, Rock wit it” among others. Here are the latest details on Buddie’s contributions and the hip-hop community’s reactions.
Dem Franchise Boyz confirm Buddie’s passing
An Instagram post arrived on the group’s page earlier on Sunday with the news of Buddie’s passing. They captioned the photo carousel with, “R.I.P Buddie you Will be Missed #demfranchizeboyz.”
The post has received over 1,500 Likes from Instagram users so far since the band initially posted it.
Dem Franchise Boys is a rap group based out of Atlanta with the original members consisting of Buddie, Jamal “Pimpin” Willingham, Bernard “Jizzal Man” Leverette, and Maurice “Parlae” Gleaton. They started as early as 2000 and produced the major hits “White Tee” and “Lean wit it, Rock wit It.”
There was also the song “I Think They Like Me” featuring Bow Wow, Da Brat, and Jermaine Dupri.
Additionally, the group collaborated with the alternative rock band Korn to do a “Lean wit it” mash-up called “Coming Undone Wit It.”
The group released three studio albums, including “On Top of Our Game” in 2006. It reached No. 5 on the US Billboard album and No. 1 on the US Rap album charts, making it their most successful LP.
Their final album came in 2012 with not much from the group since then.
So-So Def artists react to Buddie’s passing
So-So Def founder, producer, and artist Jermaine Dupri was amongst those to remember Gerald Tiller. Dupri signed the group to So-So Def in 2005 before they released their most successful album.
He posted on his Instagram Sunday to pay his respect for the founding member of Dem Franchise Boyz.
Also, So-So Def legend Da Brat posted to her Instagram to remember Buddie upon hearing of his passing. Fellow member of Dem Franchise Boyz, Parlae also showed his love for his former bandmate with a “Rest in Paradise” tribute.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1mKg01hw8f/?utm_source=ig_embed
While there were no official confirmations of cancer claiming Buddie’s life, the various posts seem to confirm that it was the reason for his passing. Most likely, more details will arrive regarding his fight with the disease along with further plans to remember the late rap star.