His dying on October 26 was confirmed by pals and fellow artists, together with rapper Mickey Factz, who stated Posta Boy had been battling most cancers — the identical sickness he survived practically 20 years in the past. No official trigger has been launched.

Born Sherard Dixon on September 11, 1981, Posta Boy emerged from Harlem’s aggressive hip-hop scene, sharpening his abilities in neighborhood cyphers earlier than rising to nationwide consideration. His breakthrough got here in 2001, when he appeared on BET’s 106 & Park because the inaugural champion of its Freestyle Friday competitors.

RIP Posta Boy

For seven straight weeks, he dismantled opponents with intelligent punchlines and unshakable composure, changing into the present’s first undefeated winner and incomes induction into its Freestyle Friday Hall of Fame. His performances turned a community phase right into a cultural occasion, proving that uncooked lyricism may thrive on tv.

Posta Boy’s momentum carried him into the early 2000s hip-hop trade, the place he briefly signed with Ruff Ryders earlier than aligning with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment. He appeared on DJ Envy’s Desert Storm Mixtape: Blok Party, Vol. 1 and collaborated with artists together with Nelly, Clipse, Talib Kweli, and Raekwon. His unreleased music “Jurassic Harlem” grew to become a cult favourite amongst followers who thought-about it one of many nice misplaced singles of the period.

In 2006, Posta Boy revealed that he had undergone an 11-hour surgical procedure after most cancers unfold to his liver. He later channeled the ordeal into his music, most notably in “God By My Side,” a music reflecting each his religion and resilience.

Though his visibility in mainstream rap declined, Posta Boy remained a fixture in Harlem’s artistic group. He mentored rising MCs, often carried out, and continued recording music on his personal phrases.

His influence, nevertheless, endures. Long earlier than YouTube leagues and viral battles, Posta Boy made freestyle rap a televised phenomenon. His command of language, stage presence, and Harlem delight left a long-lasting mark — not solely on battle rap, however on hip-hop’s sense of authenticity itself.