DJ Mark the 45 King has sadly died at the age of 62.
The legendary music producer, real name Mark Howard James, had worked with the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z and Queen Latifah. The latter paid a tribute to DJ Mark the 45 king in a statement on Thursday (October 19).
She wrote: “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved Mentor DJ Mark the 45 King! ‘He believed in me before anyone else. He touched every life he encountered.”
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Queen Latifah added: “I’ve never met someone like him; he wanted everyone around him to win. His spirit was magic and will certainly live forever.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Rap superstar Eminem also wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Legends are never over … “#RIP Mark Howard James aka The 45 King … I’m 4ever grateful!!!”.” A rep for the late music star confirmed his passing to Variety on Thursday (October 19) his cause of death was not announced.
Meanwhile DJ Premier announced his death on Instagram in a heartfelt tribute, noting his passing came three days after his 62nd birthday.
(Image: Getty Images)
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He said: “His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production,’ he said. DJ Premier wrapped up his post and penned: “Sleep Peacefully Mark thank you for all that you’ve done. You’re such a special part of our culture that is chiseled in the stone of the greatest parts of us.”
Renowned for his incorporating samples into his biggest hits, DJ Mark the 45 King has been a part of countless smash hits. In 1998, he helped Jay-Z with his tune Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), that features a sample of It’s A Hard Knock Life from the musical Annie. He has also penned Eminem’s chart-topping single Stan, which included Dido’s song Thank You.
Speaking in 2021, Mark recalled how he came up with the Stan beat. He revealed he heart the Dido tune in a movie trailer, and after hearing it for the fourth time, he “shoved a VCR into the tape deck and I taped it. I took her first verse and turned it into an eight-bar hook for Eminem… Got lucky!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
