Hip hop star DJ Unk made famous during the 2000s has died aged 43.
The Atlanta-born rapper and producer, real name Anthony Leonard Platt, was popular for his songs within the “crunk” music genre, in particular his 2006 hit Walk It Out.
His wife Sherkita Long-Platt took to social media on Friday to announce the tragic news.
“Please respect me and my family. I just lost my husband and my kids just lost their father. Our life will never be the same. I LOVE YOU ANTHONY FOREVER.” she wrote on Facebook.
On Sunday, Long-Platt shared with TMZ that her husband died in his sleep after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Fans were quick to share heartfelt messages for their idol online.
“A real Atlanta legend.. May he rest in peace,” one fan said.
Another fan said: “Shout out to DJ Unk, who passed away today at 43. Dude may have been one of, if not the first, ATL artists to have a local indie nightclub hit take off and go mainstream platinum in the early blogging/social media era.”
The official Instagram account of Atlanta’s NFL team, the Falcons, also paid respect to the star by sharing a tribute post to more than 1.4 million followers.
A candlelight vigil reportedly took place for the artist in his Atlanta neighbourhood.
DJ Unk was part of the Southern Style DJs before signing with Big Oomp Records in 2000.
He made his debut with the single Walk It Out in August 2006, months ahead of his first album, Beat’n Down Yo Block!, which reached No. 21 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
DJ Unk told Billboard at the 2023 BET Awards: “I’m glad that it’s good energy and good vibes in the song ’cause they use it as far as work out dances, they use it in church, they use it for anything.”
More recently, fellow rapper GloRilla’s 2024 debut album, Glorious, features a sample of DJ Unk’s Hold on Ho from his first album.
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