Veteran Nigerian Singer, Rapper Sound Sultan Dies at 44 After Battle With Cancer

Sound Sultan (born Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi; November 27, 1976 – July 11, 2021) was a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian, and recording artist. He was regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria. He was notable for using his music to speak against poverty, corruption, bad governance and societal ills in Nigeria.

he had taken an interest in music way back in 1991, miming at school parties and writing his own lyrics. He attributed his early influence to his elder brother Baba Dee who studied theatre arts, and received most of his early stage experience through Baba Dee. He started learning how to play the guitar after his secondary school education and was in a band by 1999.

The singer cum rapper passed away Sunday, July 11, 2021, his family announced in a statement.

“IT IS WITH HEAVY HEARTS THAT WE ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF MULTITALENTED VETERAN SINGER, RAPPER, SONGWRITER OLANREWAJU FASASI A.K.A SOUNDSULTAN,” the statement said in part.

According to the statement, Sound Sultan died after “a hard fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma,” a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a group of related malignancies (cancers) that affect the lymphatic system (lymphomas), according to NORD’s rarediseases.org.

This is coming about two months after media reports that the singer was undergoing chemotherapy in a hospitalin the United States.