DJ Mark the 45 King, who produced or co-produced such hip-hop classics as Eminem’s “Stan,” Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and early Queen Latifah hits like “Wrath of My Madness” and “Ladies First,” has died, a rep confirms to Variety. No cause of death was cited; he was 62.
“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved Mentor DJ Mark the 45 King!,” Latifah said in a statement. “He believed in me before anyone else. He touched every life he encountered. I’ve never met someone like him; he wanted everyone around him to win. His spirit was magic and will certainly live forever.”
Legendary hip-hop producer and Gang Starr member DJ Premier wrote on Instagram, “His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production.”
Born Mark Howard James in 1961 in the New York City borough of the Bronx, Mark began DJing in the 1980s and acquired his stage name from his use of obscure 7” singles. He signed a production deal with Tuff City Records and used his status to advance the careers of his expanded crew, known as the Flavor Unit, of which Latifah, along with Chill Rob G, Apache and others, were members. Her breakthrough and his both took place with her debut album, “All Hail the Queen,” released on the hip-hop powerhouse Tommy Boy Records in 1989. The label released music by several other Flavor Unit members, much of it produced by Mark; he even had a hit single in the U.K. under his own name, “The King Is Here,” which was later used as the basis for DJ Kool’s 1996 song “Let Me Clear My Throat.”
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
247