Time flies far too fast. We’re only four months into 2025 and we’ve lost some well known rappers, producers and deejays in the hip-hop world. While I’ve been able to speak to some of these as they occurred, I regret there are more of them I haven’t. Rather than waiting for the annual year in review to talk about these people, I wanted to go ahead and discuss some of the people we’ve lost now. What they accomplished in their careers doesn’t come close to equaling what they meant to their friends, family and loved ones. I offer my condolences to everybody affected.

A.D.O.R. (Eddy Castellanos Sr.) – January 1st

Seeing his name come up definitely caught me off guard when I was preparing this article. I don’t claim to know A.D.O.R. that well, but I can’t say I never knew him at all, because he personally reached out for a review back in the early 2000’s. Both then and now I was impressed that a man largely written off as a “one hit wonder” for the Pete Rock produced “Let It All Hang Out” had managed to persevere and continue to pursue a career in music. That drive clearly never left him — no matter how long an amount of time he spent away the allure of music pulled him back in. He was releasing new singles as recently as last year and had he reached out again there’s no doubt I would have been receptive. He was very open in our discourse and said whether the review was positive or negative he just wanted the chance at some critical feedback. How can you not respect a man like that? RIP Eddy.

DJ Unk (Anthony Leonard Platt) – January 24th

Since I’ve already used the term “one hit wonder” for better or worse we might as well bring it back to talk about Mr. Platt. If you know any song by Unk it’s unquestionably his smash hit “Walk It Out.” The single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 — not just the rap charts mind you but for ALL music. That’s how big the song was. Speaking from personal experience you couldn’t turn on a radio, watch a cable show with music videos, or attend a college football game without hearing the song at least once that year (or multiple times in the same day). Now it would be a foolish bit of revisionist history to tell you I was impressed with him as an artist because you can see for yourself I was not. That won’t stop me from offering him praise for his hustle, turning a friendship with DJ Montay into a successful career and a memorable song that continues to inspire dance moves to this day. A heart attack slowed him down at his peak in 2009 and another one ultimately took his life, but the fun that his song brought to millions worldwide still remains.

Irv Gotti (Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr.) – February 5th

Sometimes it honestly feels like a cruel plot twist when I gave someone a scathing review and then have to turn around and tout their accomplishments posthumously. Even though I called an Irv Gotti compilation “unnecessary” his life was anything but. In fact he’s arguably on an elite list of most influential people in the history of New York rap during the 1990’s. Irv started out as a mixtape deejay and befriended the likes of Jay-Z, DMX, Mic Geronimo and Ja Rule as he worked his way up the ladder of success, producing songs as well as garnering record deals for his friends as an A&R man. Ultimately he wanted to own the pie instead of getting a small slice from the corporations he was working for, which led him to create the label Murder Inc. Records with his brother Chris. The label’s success and possibly ill-advised name for it brought law enforcement scrutiny which accused them of being a money laundering front for an (in)famous drug trafficker. Ultimately though the feds couldn’t make their case, leaving both Irv and Chris Lorenzo exonerated in the court, but racking up nearly $40 million in legal fees in the process. That took an understandable toll and from 2008 on the label existed mostly on paper to profit from past products. Ultimately in 2022 Irv sold his 50% share of the company for a reported $100 million. He had just a couple of years to enjoy it. RIP Irv. You changed the game and you beat the case. You died a legend for both reasons.

DJ Funk (Charles Chambers) – March 5th

Much like Irv it may be better to understand Charles Chambers for how influential he was with the benefit of hindsight. Would the late DMX have had a career without Irv in his corner from early on? Would Ja Rule? It’s arguable they would not. Would the ghetto house scene that came out of Chicago in the late 1980’s and rose in prominence in the 90’s have been the same without DJ Funk? You can also argue it would not. While sharing certain features of Miami bass or Baltimore house it’s fair to say that this genre is its own distinctive thing, and you can hear it when listening to any of Funk’s mixtapes from the day. It’s actually ahead of its time by decades considering the rise in electronic production that now permeates every part of pop and hip-hop music as we know it. Here’s a rare clip of the pioneering producer doing a set live in France. Cancer is a bitch. RIP Mr. Chambers.

Sayso P (Latorian Hunt) – March 22nd

It will never cease to unnerve me the way rap eats its own, and it’s possible that the up-and-coming Sayso P wasn’t even the real target of the bullet that had his name on it, as the shooting that occurred in Memphis hit both him and Sauce Walka. Walka owns The Sauce Factory and Sayso P was signed to the label, so it’s not hard to imagine that somebody who had a beef with Walka took their shot and P was collateral damage. The police are calling it a “targeted hit” so I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn to say that. It’s terrible timing for P as he was on the verge of breaking out of Memphis thanks to signing with TSF and getting his music out on larger platforms than he could before. Listening to his music I can see the promise, and if there’s one thing I appreciate about Memphis rappers, is that for the most part THEY RAP HARD and don’t sing bars. Sayso P deserved better than this.

Young Scooter (Kenneth Bailey) – March 28th

I was able to briefly touch on Scooter’s passing in a posthumous review last week, but there are a few more things that are pertinent to share. First of all the reader who contacted me let me know Mr. Bailey may have had little or nothing to do with the “remastered” albums that pop up in his discography or on YouTube playlists, and I accept that as true. The music business is shady as hell that way. Second of all he seemed somewhat concerned that the review “wasn’t like us” and even used the term “clickbait.” I feel I addressed that in the opening paragraph when I linked to a XXXTentacion review which also had the uncanny coincidence of coming out right after he died. Now while I’ll deny that either review was for clicks, I will acknowledge the criticism that I offered too much speculation about Young Scooter’s flight from the police and the possible cause of his death. To that I say we let the legal system, his family and/or his estate take up that fight. In the meantime I’d like to again offer my condolences on the passing of a prominent and much loved member of the Georgia rap scene. Rest well Mr. Bailey.