Berkeley police are investigating the death of Bay Area rapper Stephen Gaines, who went by the stage name Baba Zumbi as part of the group Zion I, after a physical altercation at a hospital, according to officials and people close to Gaines.

Gaines, 49, was a prolific hip-hop musician and MC whose friends and family members recalled him as an “incredible human being” and a “super father” to three sons. It was not immediately known what caused his death Friday morning at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on Ashby Avenue.

His family released a statement to The Chronicle on Sunday reading, “We are in a deep state of grief and processing this loss. We are awaiting further details from the hospital at this time so we can understand exactly what happened and determine our next steps.”

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