Dem Franchize Boyz have confirmed that member Buddie, born Gerald Tiller, has lost his battle with stage 4 cancer. The group made the announcement via their Instagram page. “R.I.P Buddie you Will be Missed,” they captioned the post.

The Atlanta-based group, which consisted of Buddie, Bernard “Jizzal Man” Leverette, Maurice “Parlae” Gleaton, and Jamall “Pimpin” Willingham, signed to Universal Records and released their self-titled album in 2004. The quartet released their hit single, “White Tee,” before signing to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def records the following year.

The group released a second single, “Oh I Think Dey Like Me,” which was later remixed and retitled to “I Think They Like Me.” The record featured appearances from JD, as well as their label mates, Bow Wow and Da Brat. They also dropped a follow-up single, “Lean wit It, Rock wit It,” which gave them rank in the “snap music” movement, according to AllMusic.com.

Dem Franchize Boyz achieved Billboard chart success with several of their singles. Their first hit, “White Tee,” reached No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group’s ’05 release, “I Think They Like Me,” was in the Top 15 on the Hot 100. As for their highest-charting single, “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It,” Dem Franchize Boyz reached a peak of No. 7. “Lean wit It, Rock wit It” was also certified platinum in the U.S.

Dem Franchize Boyz released their final album Our World, Our Way in Sept. 2008. However, they weren’t able to achieve the same level of success as their preceding projects. The group went on a hiatus in 2008 after they were let go from their label, E1 Music.

Throughout their career, the group earned RIAA accreditation and received a number of music-related accolades, such as an American Music Award, a BET Hip Hop Award, and a Soul Train Award, among others.

REVOLT Media offers our condolences to Dem Franchize Boyz and Buddie’s family.

Check out Dem Franchize Boyz’s Instagram post below.

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