Rapper Big Syke has passed away at the age of 48.
TMZ is reporting that Tyruss Himes aka Big Syke was found dead at his Hawthorne, Calif. home late Monday night. Their reports state that a call was made to his home, cops arrived and the coroner’s office showed up soon after. No foul play is suspected.
Syke is believed to have died from natural causes. He reportedly had a long history of heart issues and obesity. No autopsy has been performed.
Syke is widely known for being one of Tupac‘s ride-or-die homeboys throughout his many legal battles and was one of the first, if not the first, people to greet him when he returned home from serving his prison sentence for sexual assault.
Syke was a member of Tupac‘s five-man group Thug Life that released one album, the 1994 classic Thug Life, Vol. 1. The husky-toned rapper emerged as the strongest voice behind Tupac’s delivering memorable verses on songs like “Bury Me A G,” “Cradle To The Grave” and “How Long Will They Mourn Me.”
When Tupac released his 1996 Death Row debut All Eyez On Me, Syke was one of the few friends/artists from his pre-Death Row days to appear on the album rapping on the title track “Check Out Time,” and the fan favorite “Picture Me Rollin’.”
Syke released his first solo album, titled Be Yo’ Self, one month after Tupac died. He would go on to release three more albums with the last being a self-titled effort in 2002 on Rap-A-Lot Records. Syke continued to record over the years independently, popping up on mixtapes with fellow West Coast artists.
Syke’s final days seemed to be productive. According to his Instagram profile he was shooting scenes for a movie just last week and was recently in the studio working on a Thug Life reunion album.
Big Syke was 48 years old.
Photo: Screenshot
