Rap Pioneer Jimmy Spicer Passes Away From Cancer At 61

It was in the summer of 2018 when Jimmy Spicer shared with the world that he was living with cancer. He asked for financial help from the public because he needed assistance in paying for his treatments. The rap pioneer was a legend in hip hop history and was one of the first artists to make a name for themselves in the genre, and although he fought the disease for as long as he could, Spicer passed away last Friday.

Beginning in the early 1980s, Spicer began releasing his singles, the most popular of which is arguably "Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)." By 1985, Russell Simmons had Spicer locked down under Rush Management and the rapper released "This Is It" / "Beat The Clock" on Def Jam Recordings. Yet, it was Spicer's first track, the 15-minute "Adventures of Super Rhyme (Rap)," that is recognized as one of the first rap songs to utilize the art of storytelling.

Spicer's daughter shared that her father passed away from complications linked to cancer of his lungs and brain. The rap icon was in a Brooklyn hospital when he took his last breath and Spicer is survived by his five children: four daughters and one son. Our condolences to his family and loved ones. Read through two of Spicer's daughter's loving messages about their father, as well as members of the rap community paying their respects, below. We've also inluded two of Spicer's songs for you at the end.

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