His death was caused by complications from multiple system atrophy, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects both the central and autonomic nervous systems.
Raekwon is among the many Hip-Hop heavyweights paying tribute to Sacha Jenkins, who died suddenly at the age of 54 (although some outlets are reporting 53). Jenkins, who created the Showtime series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mice and Men, forged a close relationship with The Chef.
“MY MAN HUNIT GRAN!” he wrote in the caption. “Dam. rest well king ! MR. #SACHAJENKINS you will be missed. #historian #father #universalbuilder in the culture. condolences to the family and friends of this great man.”
Jenkins, an influential hip-hop journalist, filmmaker and cultural historian, died on Friday (May 23). His death was caused by complications from multiple system atrophy, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects both the central and autonomic nervous systems, as confirmed by his wife, journalist Raquel Cepeda.
Jenkins died at his home, and his family requested privacy as they mourned his loss in an Instagram post. It read, “Please respect our family’s privacy during this difficult moment and refrain from posting before we as a FAMILY get the opportunity to make a formal announcement.”
Jenkins’ career was marked by a deep commitment to documenting and elevating Hip-Hop culture across multiple media. He began by launching one of the first graffiti-focused magazines, Graphic Scenes & Xplicit Language, and went on to co-found the Hip-Hop newspaper Beat Down and the seminal 1990s magazine Ego Trip, which blended Hip-Hop and skateboarding culture and later inspired VH1 reality shows like The (White) Rapper Show.
As a filmmaker, Jenkins directed acclaimed documentaries such as B######’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James, Fresh Dressed and Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues. He earned an Emmy for his work on the aforementioned Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men. He also served as creative director for Mass Appeal and wrote for several major publications, including Vibe, Rolling Stone and SPIN.
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