Report: South Bay Hip-Hop Producer, 'Hyphy' Icon Traxamillion Dead at 43

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- A Bay Area hip-hop mainstay who was a major producer behind the "hyphy movement" during the 2000s, San Jose beatmaker Traxamillion has died at age 43, according to social media reports.

Local hip-hop culture and news website The Thizzler posted a tweet about the producer's passing late Sunday morning.

"The San Jose producer who helped create the "Hyphy" sound passed away today," the post read. "This is a huge loss for Northern California."

There was no information available regarding the cause of death at age 43.

Born Sultan Banks on March 25, 1979, and raised in San Jose, Traxamillion would break out as a producer on the South Bay scene while in his early 20s by becoming on of the architects of the hyphy sound.

The producer rose to fame during the early-to-mid 2000s and was a key figure in "the hyphy movement" becoming more prominent thanks to the music he created for such hits as Keak da Sneak's "Super Hyphy" and "Citas," the Mistah F.A.B. hits "Sideshow" and "Yellow Bus," the Pack's "Club Stuntin'" and the Jacka's "From the Hood."

Traxamillion also worked with some of the Bay's biggest artists including Too $hort, E-40, Paul Wall and Zion-I.

Traxamillion released two albums under his own name -- The Slapp Addict in 2006 and My Radio in 2012 -- along with numerous mixed tapes.

Some of the producer's past collaborators paid tribute on Instagram to Traxamillion.

"Rest up my fella you will be missed @traxamillion you was definitely a ???? in my eyes glad to be part of your journey," E-40's post read. The post also alluded to cancer being a possible cause of death.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CYPRueyj3wA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mistah F.A.B. also shared a tribute to Traxamillion on Instagram, recalling playing the Street Fighter and praising his creativity.

"THE CREATOR OF THE SOUNDTRACK TO MY CHILDHOOD HAS ASCENDED TO GREATER GRACE LAND," the post read.