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Dr. Sebi died on August 6, 2016. His cause of death is listed as complications from pneumonia, according to The Source. Dr. Sebi was known as a vegetarian herbalist, healer, pathologist, and biochemist.
Sebi’s name has been trending over the past several hours following the death of Nipsey Hussle. Before his death, the rapper had been working on a documentary about Sebi.
Sebi, whose real name was Alfredo Darrington Bowman, died while in prison in Honduras. He had been charged with money laundering, according to the outlet.
He is survived by his 17 children.
Here’s what you need to know:
Various Complications Can Occur in Patients With Pneumonia, Especially When the Patient Is Elderly
Explicit details of what happened to Sebi while he was in jail have not been made public. However, complications from pneumonia can occur and aren’t that uncommon in elderly patients.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common complications include bacteria in the bloodstream (which can cause organ failure), difficulty breathing (which can damage a patient’s lungs), fluid accumulation around the lungs (which can cause an infection and may require surgery), and/or a lung abscess (which is often treated with antibiotics).
The CDC reports that there are approximately 1 million new cases of pneumonia each year. Of those cases, about 50,000 people die from the disease.
Dr. Sebi was 82 years old at the time of his death.
His Death Wasn’t Covered by any Major News Outlets
Despite having a pretty big following that included several celebrities (from Michael Jackson to Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes), Dr. Sebi’s death wasn’t covered extensively by any major news outlets.
Many people believed that he was a con-artist and refused to tell his story on principal alone; Sebi was perhaps best-known for his claims that he had found a cure for AIDS.
“Conspiracy theorists believe that the lack of attention paid to Dr. Sebi’s teachings, the lack of publicity surrounding his reported successes, and the mystery surrounding his arrest and death [is] because, as any street hustler can tell you, there’s no money in the cure—the money is in the sickness. The pharmaceutical business not only needs you sick but doesn’t make money if you’re well,” The Root reported shortly after Sebi’s death.
Nipsey Hussle Was Working on a Documentary About Him & Some Conspiracy Theorists Believe That Hussle Was Targeted Because of His Connection to Sebi
Rapper Nipsey Hussle was working on a documentary about Dr. Sebi. On March 31, 2019, however, that project was halted when Nipsey was shot and killed in Los Angeles.
In an interview with The Breakfast Club, Nipsey was asked about Dr. Sebi and the documentary and he talked about why he wanted to make it happen.
“I think the story’s important. I think it’s a powerful narrative. You know what I mean? And, I think if.. Imagine this, anybody in this room, if I could say, ‘hey, somebody cured AIDS,’ I’d be like, ‘yeah right.’ And then I can show you an example of him going to trial, proving in a court, to a jury that he cured AIDS. I would be interested in that,” Nipsey said in the interview, which you can watch in the video above.
Some people believe a conspiracy theory that suggests that Dr. Sebi was killed by U.S. Medical Corporations because he claimed to have a cure for AIDS. Some people are suggesting that Nipsey was also targeted by the same or a similar group. The motive? Money.
“There are many who believe that Dr. Sebi, who was not a licensed physician, became a threat to a multibillion-dollar medical industry that not only relies on continued sickness but also needs it; it profits from it,” The Root reported.
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