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Some of the biggest names in Hip-hop are mourning the loss of esteemed beatmaker DJ Mark The 45 King.
On Thursday morning, October 19, DJ Premier took to Instagram and revealed that Mark Howard James aka DJ Mark The 45 King had passed away at age 62. Preemo didn't disclose the exact cause of death but he did mention that James was recently admitted to a hospital earlier this week. In his lengthy tribute, Premier revealed how he discovered DJ Mark's music and reminded the masses of the late producer's time as a member of the Flavor Unit with Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, Apache and more.
After the news broke, other artists took to social media to reflect on the producer's death. JAY-Z, who worked with DJ Mark on his classic "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," offered kind words about the impact the song's producer had on his life and career.
"Thank you Mark," Hov said in a statement released via Roc Nation. "Your instrumentals, namely 'The 900 Number,' were more memorable than out whole albums. You gave me a canvas to have a conversation with the world!! You changed my life. Even when the life is short, the art is long!!"
Eminem also took some time to recognize Mark, who produced the beat for Em's 2000 hit "Stan." In a post to his X/Twitter account, the Detroit rapper shared a video of Mark explaining how he cooked up the infamous instrumental.
"Legends are never over. #RIP Mark Howard James aka The 45 King … I’m 4ever grateful!!!" Em wrote.
Rest in peace to DJ Mark The 45 King and condolences to his family. See more tributes to the late producer below.