Legendary hip-hop producer DJ Mark the 45 King, has been reported dead at 62. His manager confirmed the news to the Los Angeles Times, but did not share a cause of death.
“Thank you Mark, your instruments, namely ‘The 900 Number,’ were more memorable than our whole albums,” Jay-Z said on the Roc Nation Instagram. “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!!”
DJ Mark the 45 King, whose real name is Mark Howard James, was responsible for producing hit songs for the likes of Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Eminem, and more. His most notable work includes Hard Knock Life by Jay-Z and Stan by Eminem, which is arguably the Detroit rapper’s most culturally influential song.
Mark, who had just celebrated his 62nd birthday on Monday Oct. 16, was born in the Bronx, NY in 1961 and began his deejaying career in the 80s, earning the moniker “45 King” because of his knack for sampling 45rpm songs.
In 1987, he made the iconic breakbeat track, The 900 Number, which would go on to be sampled in over 25 songs from artists like Mac Miller to Public Enemy. A couple years later, his crew the Flavor Unit, catapulted Queen Latifah to fame with her debut album All Hail the Queen, which Mark worked on extensively as a producer.
His influence is undeniable, with tributes pouring in from artists across generations of hip-hop artists like The Alchemist and DJs like A-Trak.
Rest easy 45 KING. One of the original architects of production / greatest of all time .
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) October 19, 2023
On the eve of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the genre lost one of its legends that helped shape its sound while many of its most iconic artists were blossoming.