July 16, 2001 11:08

GRAVEDIGGAZ STAR LOSES CANCER BATTLE

The rapper had been fighting the disease for over two years...

GRAVEDIGGAZ rapper POETIC died yesterday (July 15) after a long battle against cancer.

As previously reported on NME.COM, the rapper, real name Anthony Berkeley, has been fighting colon cancer for over two years, and was recently admitted to hospital in California due to complications associated with the disease.

Although in recent months he appeared to be beating the cancer, his condition worsened over the weekend after both his kidneys and dialysis to treat them failed. The rapper was certified dead at 10.40am (EST) yesterday.

Up to his death. Poetic continued to work on a new Gravediggaz project.

He and fellow member Fruikwon's recently completed third album 'Nightmare In A-Minor', released through The Titanium/Sunstar Records, is out now.

Gravediggaz, in their original incarnation with Poetic, Fruikwon, Wu-Tang's RZA and legendary producer Prince Paul, introduced the world to horrorcore rap in 1994 with their debut 'Six Feet Deep' and followed up in 1997 with 'The Pick, The Sickle & The Shovel'.

He is survived by a wife, Dee Dee.