Atlanta Rap Pioneer Grip Plyaz Has Passed Away From Cancer

A post shared by Shydney Poitier (@gripplyaz) on Apr 13, 2017 at 2:18am PDT

Grip Plyaz, a beloved Atlanta rapper and pioneer of the city's independent scene, passed away on Thursday afternoon after a battle with a rare form of cancer, friends and family announced on social media.

Born and raised in Atlanta's Old 4th Ward neighborhood, Grip Plyaz released his first solo project CUMGITSLUM in 2005. His distinct and explicit style earned him a loyal fanbase in Atlanta, and he soon became a fixture at underground rap nights in venues around the city. He would garner attention online with tracks like "Died In Yo Pussy" and "Fuck That Hipster Shit." In recent years, Grip served as a mentor for artists in his city's burgeoning underground scene like KEY! and other members of Two-9, as well as Trinidad James.

In 2015, Grip was diagnosed with stage three pleomorphic sarcoma, an aggressive and rare form of cancer. A GoFundMe campaign set up after the diagnosis raised over $17,500 for his medical expenses. Earlier this week, Grip went into cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma, according to Hip-Hop Wired.

Due to his illness, Grip's output slowed in recent years. In 2012, he released the Purp, Wind & Fire mixtape, followed by ReTurnt to Sender> in 2014. Find more of Grip Plyaz's discography on his Bandcamp page.