DJ Mark The 45 King Passes Away At 62
Hip-Hop has lost another icon way too soon. DJ Mark the 45 King has reportedly passed away. He was 62. DJ Premier revealed the 45 King’s death via a tribute post on Instagram. “His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production,” reads part of […]
Source: Al Pereira / Getty
Hip-Hop has lost another icon way too soon. DJ Mark the 45 King has reportedly passed away. He was 62.
DJ Premier revealed the 45 King’s death via a tribute post on Instagram. “His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production,” reads part of Premier’s tribute, where he details 45 King’s production on an early Gang Starr single.
Born Mark Howard James in the Bronx, DJ Mark the 45 King made a name for himself crafting classic beats for Queen Latifah, Jay-Z and his own famed breakbeat “The 900 Number.” For Hip-Hop heads of a certain age, you’ll remember “The 900 Number” as the instrumental used by Ed Lover to perform his famed “The Ed Lover Dance” on Yo! MTV Raps. Originally released in 1987, the song caught another resurgence when it was prominently sampled in DJ Kool’s hit “Let Me Clear My Throat” in 1996.
Rest In Peace DJ Mark the 45 King
Producer of such hits as Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life" & Eminem's "Stan" — as well as favorites from Rakim, Queen Latifah, Common & many more…
We can't forget "The 900 Number" and the Ed Lover dance. Thank you for everything.
pic.twitter.com/CB6TtR7GBH
— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) October 19, 2023
The 45 King was instrumental in bringing Queen Latifah to the masses, producing her debut album, All Hail The Queen on Tommy Boy Records, which was released in 1989. 45 King’s earlier work with the Flavor Unit (Latifah, Chill Rob G, Lakim Shabazz and Apache) and his mastery of sampling quickly made him one of Hip-Hop’s early production wunderkinds.
And showing he was no flash in the pan, in 1998, Mark produced Jay-Z’s Annie-sampling “Hard Knock Life,” a song often credited with turbo-boosting the Brooklyn rapper and mogul’s superstar career. Two years later, he scored another smash producing Eminem’s “Stan.”
Rest in powerful peace DJ Mark the 45 King. We compiled reactions to his passing that are a testament to how immense of a loss his death is to the culture.
RIP DJ Mark The 45 King
I love this Yo! Raps video from 1989 with him and Queen Latifah doing their thaaang
pic.twitter.com/qj7a6R7yAy
— Evezzy-E
(@EvezzyE) October 19, 2023
1.
Rest easy 45 KING. One of the original architects of production / greatest of all time .
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) October 19, 2023
2.
Mark the 45 King
— DJ Green Lantern (@DJGREENLANTERN) October 19, 2023.. RIP king .. THANK YOU!!
3.
RIP Mark the 45 King. From "900 Number" to "Wrath Of My Madness" to "Hard Knock Life" to "Stan", 45King is responsible for some of the greatest hip-hop production of all time, across time.
— Noah Callahan-Bever (@N_C_B) October 19, 2023
4.
Salute Dj Mark The 45 King. Forever. #PoPDuKe
— Freddie Foxxx (@BumpyKnuckles) October 19, 2023
5.
In Memoriam for DJ Mark the 45 King, one of the best to ever do it. He certainly has more popular tracks, but this was *always* my favorite. https://t.co/sHxe9ioRtw
— Dan Charnas (@dancharnas) October 19, 2023
6.
It's being reported that DJ Mark The 45 King has passed away at the age of 62.
— Old Head Energy (@Cheamane) October 19, 2023
His work with Queen Latifah and The Flavor Unit is legendary.
Later in his career, he produced two smashes, "Hard Knock Life," & "Stan by Jay-Z & Eminem respectively.
May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/n0YHuwmB99
7.
Damnnn RIP to Mark The 45 King. An absolute monument in music.
— Good Bunny (@atrak) October 19, 2023
Not only did he make classics like 900 Number, Hard Knock Life, Stan (and a bunch of Queen Latifah joints!), to me his creativity in picking unlikely samples embodied the whole (fun!) spirit of hip hop.
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