The Minnesota community is mourning the loss of Ibraheem Basir, a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur whose creative vision and commitment to cultural authenticity shaped both the spoken word scene and the natural food industry. He passed away on March 4, 2026, just one week before his 40th birthday, leaving behind a legacy that bridges poetry, performance, and purpose-driven business.
Before A Dozen Cousins became a nationally recognized brand, Ibraheem was known for his command of language. As a member of the Excelano Project, he crafted verses that moved audiences, blending personal narrative with cultural pride and social observation.
His performances in the Twin Cities spoken word scene weren’t just entertainment; they were invitations into his world, a world shaped by Brooklyn roots, family bonds, and an artist’s sensitivity to the stories that connect us. Fellow poets remember someone who elevated every open mic, who nurtured emerging voices, and who understood that art’s highest purpose is building community.
Ibraheem used the same creative sense to business when he started A Dozen Cousins. His childhood Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American flavors served as the inspiration for the brand’s line of seasoned rice and beans, which turned family recipes into goods that could be found in households all across the nation.
The company became a platform for promoting Black and Latino culinary traditions while offering practical, healthful solutions for busy families, and the name recognized his huge extended family, of which his daughter was considered the twelfth cousin.
National distribution followed, with A Dozen Cousins landing on shelves at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. For Ibraheem, seeing his products in stores represented more than commercial success; it meant that the meals and memories of his upbringing could nourish families he would never meet. Each can carried not just ingredients but stories, not just nutrition but cultural continuity.
His commitment to uplifting others extended through initiatives like Project Potluck, which supported BIPOC entrepreneurs and advocated for inclusive growth in the food industry. Ibraheem understood that business could be a force for community development, that success meant little if it didn’t create pathways for others to follow. He moved to Los Angeles during the pandemic to expand the company, but Minnesota remained central to his identity, the place where his artistic voice first found audience and where young creators continued looking to his example.
Throughout his journey, Ibraheem remained grounded in his role as father to two children. Building a brand from the ground up while raising a family demanded the same resilience and warmth that characterized his poetry. He took pride in showing his children what dedication looks like, in demonstrating that cultural heritage deserves celebration, and in creating something that would outlast him.