Bay Area Rapper Baba Zumbi Of Zion I Has Reportedly Died

Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty

Baba Zumbi, best known as the lead rapper of Bay Area group Zion I, has reportedly died. Details are scant, but friends, fans, and others connected with the rapper and producer have been pouring in their respect via Twitter. Hip-Hop Wired first learned of Baba Zumbi’s passing from the Twitter account of Hip-Hop artist Flashius Clayton and other luminaries in that space, and we scoured the Internet and other sources to confirm the news.

Born Steve Gaines, Baba Zumbi was part of the Zion I crew with former members Amp Live and K-Genius before taking on the group name for himself as a one-man-band. Zion I has been active since the late 1990s and was a fixture of the sprawling and versatile Bay Area Hip-Hop scene. On August 4, Baba Zumbi and Amp Live announced a tour in support of the group’s 20th anniversary and was set to kick off on October 1.

To the family, friends, loved ones, and fans of Steve “Baba Zumbi” Gaines, Hip-Hop Wired extends our warmest condolences. We will update this post once we obtain further details. For now, check out the reactions from Twitter. UPDATE: A statement from the family was provided to KQED, which can be viewed by following this link. The outlet also provides more details about the life and legacy of Baba Zumbi, including speaking on the aforementioned reunion tour with Zion I’s Amp Live and more. Again, our hearts and minds are with the Gaines family and his fans and dearest ones. Baba Zumbi was 49. May he rest powerfully in peace. — Photo: Getty