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Mark Howard James, the beat maker best known as the 45 King, has died, James’ manager, Paul Martinez, confirmed to Pitchfork. The Bronx native started producing in the mid-1980s as hip-hop seemed to pour out of every stereo in New York’s five boroughs. After breaking out with his work for Queen Latifah in the late ’80s, James would go on to produce rap classics such as Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “Stan” by Eminem, and more. James died at age 62, days after his birthday on October 16. A cause of death has not been revealed.
While DJing, James would cull sound bits from obscure 45 singles, which eventually informed his production style, and was in conversation with the surrounding culture of hip-hop sampling that remains relevant today. His breakout track “The 900 Number” was released in 1987, and featured a prominent saxophone snippet from Marva Whitney’s 1968 song “Unwind Yourself.” The song was also released on James’ 1988 debut Master of the Game. In the ensuing years, “The 900 Number” has been sampled and remixed by a number of artists, including DJ Kool, Public Enemy, Breakestra, and Ced Gee.
James’ New York hip-hop crew, known as the Flavor Unit, included up-and-coming artists like Apache, Lakim Shabazz, Chill Rob G, and one Queen Latifah. Riding the success of “The 900 Number,” James was recruited to produce Latifah’s 1989 debut All Hail the Queen.
Throughout the late ’80s and mid-’90s, James produced and reworked cuts by Latifah, Gang Starr, Salt-N-Pepa, Eric B. & Rakim, Digital Underground, Madonna, C&C Music Factory, and many others. He continued to self-release records throughout that period, including his Straight Out Da Crate and The Lost Breakbeats series.
In 1998, James produced Jay-Z’s mega hit “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” which introduced him to a new generation of rap lovers. The song famously samples and loops “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” from the original cast recording of the Broadway musical Annie. In 2000, James made another star turn on Eminem’s sophomore record The Marshall Mathers LP, crafting the iconic, Dido-sampling beat for “Stan.”
As the news of his death circulates, a number of artists have paid tribute to James, including Eminem, who wrote on social media: “Legends are never over. #RIP Mark Howard James aka the 45 King … I’m 4ever grateful!!!” The Alchemist called James “one of the original architects of production,” while DJ Premier wrote “we Salute your greatness!”
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