Very sad news for the tight-knit Atlanta hip-hop community as a member of Dem Franchize Boyz has reportedly died.

Details below…

While details are scarce, it appears Gerald “Buddie” Tiller has passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Buddie was one of the foursome who made up the legendary Atlanta group Dem Franchize Boyz that came to prominence in the mid-2000s during the snap music era.

The group landed several hits that still ring through ATL clubs today like “White Tee,” “Oh, I Think They Like Me” and “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It.”

They released three albums Dem Franchize Boyz (2004), On Top of Our Game (2006) and Our World, Our Way (2008), and haven’t been active since the release of the 2011 mixtape Voltron.

The news was first revealed via the group’s Instagram page yesterday (Aug 25), with a post that shows a series of photos of the rapper along with the solemn caption, “R.I.P Buddie you Will be Missed #demfranchizeboyz.”

The account also posted a throwback video featuring their fallen bandmate on the set of the “Lean With It” video shoot.

Jermaine Dupri, who signed the group to his So So Def label in 2005, also confirmed the tragic revelation in an Instagram post, stating:

“‘They call me Doctor Doc I prescribe what a nigga need,” he posted on Instagram, quoting Buddie’s verse from the hit song, “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It.” “#ripbuddy may your soul rest easy #demfranchiseboyz. #fuckcancer.”

The group reunited briefly last year as they performed onstage in Atlanta during Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def 25th Anniversary concert.