Sacha Jenkins Dies: Hip-Hop Journalist And Filmmaker Was 54

Veteran journalist and filmmaker Sacha Jenkins, widely known for his impactful work in hip-hop culture, has died at age 54. Jenkins’ wife, Raquel Cepeda, told The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away from complications of multiple system atrophy.

Jenkins spent decades using storytelling to elevate hip-hop, whether through print, television, or film. His voice helped shape the culture’s mainstream presence while always staying rooted in its underground authenticity.

The publications and legacy Sacha Jenkins built

Jenkins is remembered as the founder of several influential publications. One of his earliest projects, Graphic Scenes & Xplicit Language, became one of the first magazines to highlight the art of graffiti. He also co-founded the hip-hop newspaper Beat Down with childhood friend Elliott Wilson. The two would later reunite to create Ego Trip, a magazine that bridged hip-hop and skateboarding culture.

Beyond founding his own outlets, Jenkins wrote for Spin and Rolling Stone and became well-known for his editorial work at Vibe, where he served as music editor.

What are some of Sacha Jenkins’ accomplishments as a filmmaker?

Jenkins directed several critically acclaimed documentaries, including Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James and Fresh Dressed. He also wrote All Up in the Biz, a tribute to hip-hop icon Biz Markie. His work on the docuseries Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men earned him an Emmy.

In Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, another standout project, Jenkins spoke about the jazz legend with reverence.

“He’s a very special person — not a normal individual — who had a real foresight and real insight and was just the essence of creativity,” Jenkins told the Film Academy, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I play music. I do different things. And I’m inspired by seeing someone who can do it on such a high level. He was inspired by creativity. That was his fuel.”

In a 2023 interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Jenkins reflected on his Netflix docuseries Rapture, which explored hip-hop through the lens of its artists.

“I was a journalist writing about hip-hop for many years,” Jenkins said. “To see it firsthand and to have the kind of intimate access that we had, I knew that was something that hip-hop could use right now. I know that hip-hop is the most streamed, most popular form of music in the world, and it’s very easy for people to be into hip-hop just on the strength of the way it sounds, [and] the way it feels. But, I know as a native that there are so many things that get lost in translation, and I felt that a series like [Rapture] would give people a real window and therefore a deeper understanding of what hip-hop really means, [and] where it comes from.”