Grandmaster Roc Raida died this weekend, aged 37. Specifics of his cause of death have not been revealed, except that he was hospitalised last week and that his passing was a shock to all concerned. According to AllHipHop.com, rumours that his death was linked to a car accident or, more bizarrely, a karate accident, were denied by a spokesman.
A founder member of nineties turntablist outfit the X-Ecutioners, Roc Raida, real name Anthony Williams, began DJing at the age of ten, he being the son of a member of Sugar Hill-signed group The Mean Machine. He rose to international attention in hip hop circles by winning the DMC World DJ Championships in 1995, and subsequently became known for his production work as well as his turntable skills. He also appeared as the official tour DJ on Busta Rhymes' tours.
Paying tribute via Twitter, Rhymes said: "I just wanna thank everyone for your love and support and your prayers. We will never let your name die Roc... We love you and will forever miss you... RIP. I was told today. We are losing all of these great people this year as a result of God calling his army because something is about to go down!"