Photo: Press
Tributes from musicians have been flooding in since news broke of Clarence ‘Blowfly’ Reid’s passing.
The Godfather of hip hop passed away this morning at the age of 76 after losing a battle against liver cancer.
Blowfly was known for his x-rated and comedic party records since the 1970s. His work has been sampled by Beyonce, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Shadow, Eazy-E, the Avalanches and others.
Flying Lotus shared a photo of one of Blowfly’s iconic masks on Instagram.
Just Blaze described Blowfly as a “forefather” on Twitter.
Damn. RIP Blowfly. OG triple OG and a forefather.
— Just Blaze (@JustBlaze) January 17, 2016
Aesop Rock, El-P and Flea also took to Twitter to send their respects.
RIP Blowfly
— Aesop Rock (@AesopRockWins) January 17, 2016
RIP Blowfly
— el-p (@therealelp) January 17, 2016
I had the great privilege of playing with BLOWFLY. So much joy. R.I.P. Clarence Reid.
— Flea (@flea333) January 17, 2016
News of Reid’s passing came through a statement on his Facebook page.
Tom Bowker, Reid’s drummer, said, "[Clarence’s sister Virginia and I thank you for all the love you have shown this week. We also thank you for supporting Clarence’s 50+ year music career – especially these last few years. We love you and will keep you informed on services and tribute performances in Clarence’s honour."
According to Bowker, Blowfly will release his final album, 77 Rusty Trombones in February.
