‘Injury Reserve’ Rapper Jordan Groggs Dies At Age 32

Jordan Groggs, the rapper also known as Stepa J. Groggs and a member of the Phoenix rap group ‘Injury Reserve,’ died at the age of 32, according to a tweet from the group’s social media accounts.

Groggs was a father of four and a mentor and friend to many in the industry, as many social media tributes have indicated, leading to the #RIP Groggs to begin trending on Twitter.

Groggs Became A Fan Favorite As A Member of ‘Injury Reserve’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseriesVideoVideo related to ‘injury reserve’ rapper jordan groggs dies at age 322020-07-01T03:19:37-04:00

Injury Reserve was formed in 2013.

Groggs and a teenager and fellow rapper Nathaniel Ritchie (who went by the name “Ritchie with a T”) all met at a Vans store in 2012, a place that Ritchie’s mother owned and where Groggs worked, according to NME. Groggs mentored Ritchie and when the pair found producer Parker Corey, Pitchfork reported, and a trio was born. The trio performed with acts of other music genres, such as punk and indie, playing on Arizona State University’s campus.

In 2016, the group released “Live from the Dentist Office,” it first mixtape and one year later, produced “Floss,” Pitchfork reported. In 2019, they debuted a self-titled studio album. Some of the group’s hit song, according to Spotify, include “Jailbreak the Tesla,” “S on Ya Chest,” “Ttktv” and “North Pole.” The trio had also released two singles this year: “Hoodwinked” and “Waste Management,” Hypebeast reported.

According to Spin, as a member of Injury Reserve, Groggs collaborated with Rico Nasty, Freddie Gibbs, DRAM and others. NME reported that Groggs’ last recorded appearance with Injury Reserve took place as a feature on Jockstrap‘s latest single ‘Robert.’

Many Have  Paid Tribute to Groggs, Calling Him ‘A Legend,’ the ‘Kindest Soul’ And A ‘Genuine Person’

REST IN POWER Jordan Alexander Groggs a loving father, life partner and friend. (6/1/1988-6/29/2020) pic.twitter.com/tYUa4nnebV

— Injury Reserve (@InjuryReserve) June 30, 2020

A GoFundMe page set up in honor of supporting Groggs’ wife, Anna, and their four children — Joey, Jayden, Toph and Ari — had already raised $50,000 of its $75,000 goal in its first seven hours of being up. The page simply read:

REST IN POWER Jordan Alexander Groggs a loving father, life partner, and friend.

Groggs’s heart has touched everyone he has came across. He will live on through his family, supporters, and the communities he was apart of.

Jordan Alexander Groggs is survived by Anna and their four children Joey, Jayden, Toph, and Ari.

Please keep them in your thoughts. All funds will go towards family support and services. Thank you

Many have also taken to Twitter and other forms of social media to show their support of Groggs.

RIP Groggs, in only 32 years was able to say more than some artists say in their entire lives about inequality, loss, poverty, and addiction. thank you @InjuryReserve pic.twitter.com/oC6Mfcq9FZ

— olive gordon (@ughgordonsmh) July 1, 2020

Others posted song lyrics from Injury Reserve songs that they said helped them through tough times and thanked Groggs for his role in creating it:

“Man, this ain’t a swan song
You can go and save your tissues
Not too many were there when I was dealing with my issues
Fuckin’ up
Regretting all the time that I misused
Songs start going up and I get hit with Oh, I missed you”s”

RIP Groggs 🙁 this song alone has got me thru ! pic.twitter.com/89k3v4mg9Z

— KidTheGreat.️🍊 (@JustKidTheGreat) July 1, 2020

In a tweet, Phonte Giallo wrote of Groggs, “We never got the chance to meet in person, but the love he and his crew showed me was always appreciated and reciprocated. RIP to the brother Groggs from @InjuryReserve. God bless.”

Goodbye Jordan Groggs. You were a legend in your craft and it hurts to see leave. I’m grateful I got to see you, Ritchie, and Parker in September and I’m grateful I got to shake your hand after that incredible peformance. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/STbfA2nZ6k

— Clayton Bothwell (@Clayton36434710) July 1, 2020

Animé, a collaborator with the group, also wrote a message that he posted on Instagram in memory of Groggs, in which he said, “rest in power to the kindest soul and one of my favorite rappers. love you Groggs.”

We met Jordan when we played with Injury Reserve at Willamette in 2017. He was a memorably friendly and genuine person and with IR he made some of the best, most progressive hip hop in recent memory. There’s a GoFundMe to help his partner and children: https://t.co/5PTosWSHNY https://t.co/VbGTUqPKVL

— Kero Kero Bonito (@KeroKeroBonito) July 1, 2020

A cause of death for Groggs has not been announced as of yet.

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