Jay-Z and Eminem have paid tribute to hip-hop producer DJ Mark the 45 King following his death.
The legendary hip-hop producer passed away at the age of 62 on Thursday, his manager, Paul Martinez, confirmed to Pitchfork.
The producer, real name Mark Howard James, had worked on a number of well-known songs such as Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life and Eminem's Stan.
Jay-Z took to social media to share a touching tribute to Mark.
"Thank you Mark. Your instrumentals, namely The 900 Number, were more memorable than our whole albums. You gave me a canvas to have a conversation with the world!!" the 99 Problems artist wrote. "You changed my life. Even when the life is short, the art is long!!"
Eminem also took to social media to remember the celebrated producer.
"Legends are never over. #RIP Mark Howard James aka the 45 King ... I'm 4ever grateful!!!" The Real Slim Shady rapper wrote on X/Twitter.
Queen Latifah, who worked with the producer on her early hits Ladies First and Wrath of My Madness, said in a statement to Variety, "He believed in me before anyone else. He touched every life he encountered. I've never met someone like him; he wanted everyone around him to win. His spirit was magic and will certainly live forever."
The producer's most groundbreaking track, The 900 Number, was released in 1987, launching him into the spotlight. The song has been sampled by several artists since its release.
In addition to Jay-Z, Eminem and Latifah, DJ Mark also worked with Madonna, Salt-N-Pepa and Flavor Unit.
The details surrounding the producer's death have not been revealed.
