HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: David Corio / Getty James Mtume, a jazz musician who went on to form the R&B band Mtume, has reportedly died. Mtume was behind the massive “Juicy Fruit” hit, famously sampled by The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” smash. As confirmed by Pitchfork, Mtume, who recently celebrated his birthday according to an Instagram post, passed over the weekend but the reason was not disclosed. Via Twitter, Lisa Lucas, the daughter of Mtume’s partner Reggie Lucas, took to social media to comment on the loss of the man she referred to as an uncle. Mtume was born James Heath on January 3, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa. He was the son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath and was raised by stepfather James Forman, a jazz pianist. In interviews, Mtume remarked on instances as a y...
Bob Saget, best known for his role as Danny Tanner in the late ’80s/early ’90s sitcom Full House, has died at the age of 65. According to a statement from the Orlando County Sheriff’s Department, Saget was found in his room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando. Here’s the statement: Earlier today, deputies were called to the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes for a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room. The man was identified as Robert Saget & pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case. Saget’s cause of death is unknown. TMZ was first to report the news of the comedian’s death. He was in Central Florida as part of a stand-up tour that was supposed to run through May. Born in Philadelphia on May 17, 1956, Saget got his start on CBS’ ...
Michael Lang, the promoter who is best known for creating Woodstock, has died at the age of 77. According to Billboard, Lang died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at New York City’s Sloan-Kettering Hospital. His friend Michael Pagnotta also confirmed the news in a tweet late Saturday evening. Born in Brooklyn on December 11, 1944, Lang’s first event that he produced was the 1968 Miami Pop Festival. That lineup included future legends like Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker and Mothers of Invention. After moving back to New York, Lang, along with John Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld and John P. Roberts, conceived what would become Woodstock. The event, which took place in August 1969, came to define a generation and was the iconic cultural moment of the 1960s. Woodstock featured now-legendary sets from Jimi...
Drakeo the Ruler, the influential and prolific Los Angeles rapper who is known for his deadpan flow and dark humor, has died at the age of 28. A rep for Drakeo the Ruler confirmed to SPIN the news of his death, but declined to share any further details. As the Los Angeles Times reports, there was an incident backstage at the Snoop Dogg-curated Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival at the city’s Exposition Park. At around 8:40 pm PST, the Times reported that a person was stabbed in the neck backstage, who we now know was Drakeo, and was rushed to the hospital. The festival promptly ended after the incident. The Times reported that Drakeo died at a local hospital. Born in Los Angeles’ Westmont neighborhood as Darrell Caldwell on December 1, 1993, Drakeo the Ruler rose to prominenc...
Gared O’Donnell, the singer of post-hardcore band Planes Mistaken for Stars, has died. He was 44. The band shared the news in a social media post. In August 2020, O’Donnell revealed he had Stage 3 esophageal cancer. “It is impossible to express the depth of sorrow in which we must announce that Gared O’Donnell, our brother, our leader, our captain, who has done more to cultivate love and light in this world than any of us can understand, has moved on from his physical form here with us and crossed the rainbow bridge into the eternal ether. In his final days/hours, he was surrounded by the love of his family, his friends, his bandmates, and many others from afar,” the statement said. O’Donnell joined forces with guitarist Mat Bellinger, drummer Mike Ricketts, and bassist Aaron Wise to form ...