Dem Franchize Boyz rapper Buddie (real name Gerald Tiller) has passed away. According to an Instagram post from Jermaine Dupri, who signed the group to his So So Def imprint in the mid-2000s, Buddie succumbed to an undisclosed form of cancer.
“‘They call me Doctor Doc I prescribe what a nigga need,'” he wrote in the caption. “#ripbuddy may your soul rest easy #demfranchiseboyz. #fuckcancer
Dupri’s caption partly references one of Buddie’s lines from “Lean wit It Rock wit It,” their breakout hit from their 2006’s So So Def debut, On Top Of Our Game.
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Produced by Parlae, the song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart upon its release. The subsequent video catapulted snap dancing into the mainstream and help take their career to another level.
That same year, Korn and Dem Franchize Boyz released a mash-up of their respective hits, “Coming Undone” and “Lean wit It Rock wit It.”
The surviving members of the group, Parlae, Pimpin’ and Jizzal Man, paid tribute on their own Instagram account. Although they didn’t say much, they shared several photos of Buddie throughout their career.
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“R.I.P Buddie,” one of the caption reads. “you Will be Missed #demfranchizeboyz>
