Overview
- Tommy Boy Records announced his death on Instagram, confirming the passing reported by multiple outlets.
- TMZ, citing anonymous sources, reported he died of cancer in Pennsylvania, a cause not independently confirmed by other reports.
- He helped shape early hip-hop’s sound and reach, earning a breakthrough with the 1982 single Planet Rock.
- He co-founded the Zulu Nation in 1973 to channel neighborhood energy from gang conflicts into DJing, rapping, breakdance, and graffiti.
- Since 2016, several men have accused him of sexual abuse when they were minors, and in 2025 a civil court awarded damages after he failed to appear.