Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, member of The Last Poets and known as the ‘grandfather of rap’ has died at the age of 74.
According to The Guardian, the cause of death was cancer. The Last Poets announced his death with the following statement:
It is with extreme sadness and a heavy heart that the family of Jalal Nuriddin announce the passing of this great pioneer of the recording industry. A member of the Last Poets, and also known as ‘The Grandfather of Rap’, Jalal slipped quietly away this evening into the arms of Allah. The family asks that you respect their privacy at this time, and refrain from all calls and contact. Details regarding his jananza (furneral) will be forthcoming shortly. They ask that you make dua for Jalal especially during these last 10 days of Ramadan. Thank you.
Nuriddin was born on 24 July 1944, and was one of the founding members of The Last Poets. He contributed to the spoken-word group’s 1970 self-titled debut and its follow-up This Is Madness. In 1973, he released his solo album Hustlers Convention under his Lightnin’ Rod Moniker, which has been sampled by Nas.