Sacha Jenkins obit

Sacha Jenkins Dies: Journalist Behind Wu-Tang Clan, 50 Cent & Louis Armstrong Docs Was 53

 

He was not on the list.

Sacha Jenkins, a hip-hop journalist and documentarian known for Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019) and Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (2022), has died. He was 53.

Deadline can confirm the Emmy nominee’s death after his wife Raquel Cepeda asked fans to “please respect our family’s privacy during this difficult moment” as they prepare an official statement.

Born August 22, 1971 in Philadelphia, Jenkins launched the graffiti zine Graphic Scenes & Xplicit Language in 1989, and the groundbreaking hip-hop newspaper Beat Down shortly after. He co-founded the hip-hop magazine Ego Trip in 1994, which also launched the VH1 reality series The (White) Rapper Show in 2007.

As a documentary filmmaker, Jenkins spoke to Deadline when he made his directorial debut at Sundance Film Festival with the 2015 urban fashion exploration Fresh Dressed.

“It’s so amazing how there’s so much love and respect for storytelling,” he said of the Park City, Utah film festival. “Before I did this, I was a journalist, so storytelling is extremely important. And to see the dedication and respect that storytellers get, for me it’s almost overwhelming how much love and support I’m getting. I’m like, ‘Woah, it’s not even about me. It’s about the story, but thank you!'”

Jenkins also served as a writer and producer on such docs as Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019), Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021), Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (2022) and All Up in the Biz (2023).

Jenkins is survived by wife Raquel, son Marceau and stepdaughter Djali Brown-Cepeda.

Director

Sunday Best

Director

Completed

2025

All Up in the Biz (2023)

All Up in the Biz

7.5

Director

2023

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022)

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

7.4

Director

2022

Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)

Everything's Gonna Be All White

1.7

TV Mini Series

Director

2022

4 episodes

Karl Kani in KARL KANI: The Origin of Streetwear

KARL KANI: The Origin of Streetwear

TV Mini Series

Director

Rick James in Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021)

Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James

7.3

Director

2021

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019)

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

8.1

TV Mini Series

Director

2019

4 episodes

Around The Way (2019)

Around The Way

5.1

TV Series

Director

2019

1 episode

Railroad Ties (2019)

Railroad Ties

8.0

Short

Director (directed by)

2019

N.O.R.E., Tip 'T.I.' Harris, 2 Chainz, Logic, Rapsody, G-Eazy, and Dave East in Rapture (2018)

Rapture

7.1

TV Mini Series

Director

2018

1 episode

Word Is Bond (2018)

Word Is Bond

6.2

Director

2018

The Field (2018)

The Field

TV Movie

Director

2018

Burn Motherfucker, Burn! (2017)

Burn Motherfucker, Burn!

7.0

Director

2017

Fresh Dressed (2015)

Fresh Dressed

6.6

Director

2015

Writer

All Up in the Biz (2023)

All Up in the Biz

7.5

Writer

2023

Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)

Everything's Gonna Be All White

1.7

TV Mini Series

Writer

2022

4 episodes

Rick James in Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021)

Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James

7.3

Writer

2021

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019)

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

8.1

TV Mini Series

Writer

2019

4 episodes

Fresh Dressed (2015)

Fresh Dressed

6.6

story

2015

Producer

The Field

executive producer (2018)

CompletedTV Series

The Sound of Toys

executive producer

Pre-production

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos (2024)

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos

6.9

executive producer

2024

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022)

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

7.4

producer

2022

Generation Dead: The Walking Dead Fan Documentary (2022)

Generation Dead: The Walking Dead Fan Documentary

2.8

TV Special

executive producer: Resurgent Pictures

2022

Supreme Team (2022)

Supreme Team

6.9

TV Series

executive producer

2022

3 episodes

Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain (2022)

Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain

7.2

executive producer

2022

Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)

Everything's Gonna Be All White

1.7

TV Mini Series

executive producer

2022

Veintitres: Our Labor Saved Lives (2022)

Veintitres: Our Labor Saved Lives

1.0

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executive producer

2022

Rolling Like Thunder (2021)

Rolling Like Thunder

6.1

executive producerproducer

2021

Ralph McDaniels in You're Watching Video Music Box (2021)

You're Watching Video Music Box

7.7

executive producer

2021

Rick James in Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021)

Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James

7.3

executive producer

2021

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019)

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

8.1

TV Mini Series

executive producer

2019

4 episodes

Around The Way (2019)

Around The Way

5.1

TV Series

executive producer

2019

1 episode

City Girls Point Blank Period (2018)

City Girls Point Blank Period

1.4

Short

executive producer

2018

N.O.R.E., Tip 'T.I.' Harris, 2 Chainz, Logic, Rapsody, G-Eazy, and Dave East in Rapture (2018)

Rapture

7.1

TV Mini Series

executive producer

2018

Great Performances (1971)

Great Performances

7.9

TV Series

executive producer

2018

1 episode

A pesar de su ausencia (2017)

A pesar de su ausencia

Short

executive producer

2017

Diplo

Short

co-executive producer

2010

Being Terry Kennedy (2010)

Being Terry Kennedy

4.9

TV Series

executive producer

2010

7 episodes

The cast of 50 Cent: The Money and the Power

50 Cent: The Money and the Power

4.3

TV Series

co-executive producer

2008

1 episode

Miss Rap Supreme (2008)

Miss Rap Supreme

5.9

TV Series

executive producer

2008

1 episode

The (White) Rapper Show (2007)

The (White) Rapper Show

5.5

TV Series

executive producerco-producer

2007

8 episodes

Ego Trip's Race-O-Rama

6.2

TV Series

co-producer

2005

TV's Illest Minority Moments Presented by Ego Trip (2004)

TV's Illest Minority Moments Presented by Ego Trip

8.0

TV Movie

executive producer

2004

Additional Crew

Lorine Padilla in La Madrina: The Savage Life of Lorine Padilla (2020)

La Madrina: The Savage Life of Lorine Padilla

6.4

executive producer

2020

Samuel L. Jackson, Edward Asner, Regina King, Nick Jameson, Charlie Murphy, Greg Travis, Gary Anthony Williams, John Witherspoon, Cedric Yarbrough, Bobb'e J. Thompson, and Carl Jones in The Boondocks (2005)

The Boondocks

8.5

TV Series

creative consultant

2006

6 episodes

Thanks

Nas in Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014)

Nas: Time Is Illmatic

7.0

thanks

2014

Self

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos (2024)

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos

6.9

Self

2024

Here and Now (2012)

Here and Now

7.0

TV Series

Self - Chief Creative Officer Mass Appeal

2023

1 episode

Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)

Everything's Gonna Be All White

1.7

TV Mini Series

Self

2022

1 episode

Paltrocast with Darren Paltrowitz (2020)

Paltrocast with Darren Paltrowitz

5.4

TV Series

Self

2021

1 episode

Tiffany Cross in The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross (2020)

The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross

3.5

TV Series

Self (voice)

2021

1 episode

The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film (2017)

The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film

6.4

Self

2017

Ego Trip's Race-O-Rama

6.2

TV Series

Self

2005

Archive Footage

Geeks + Gamers (2016)

Geeks + Gamers

4.7

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2022

1 episode