Lord Sear, the rapper and legendary DJ and radio host for Eminem‘s Shade 45 SiriusXM channel, has died. He was 52.

When was Lord Sear’s death confirmed?

On Wednesday, Shade 45 confirmed Sear’s, born Steve Watson’s, death in a post shared to his official Instagram account, according to USA Today and Billboard.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Lord Sear. He was more than a voice on the radio — he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us,” the post’s caption began.

The statement continued, “Lord Sear’s legacy in hip hop runs deep. A proud member of the CM family, he first made his mark alongside hip-hop artist Kurious, before going on to the legendary Stretch and Bobbito show, touring the world on Eminem’s Anger Management Tour, and spending over 20 years as a cornerstone of the Shade 45 family — he helped shape the culture at every level.”

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A post shared by The Lord Sear Special (@thelordsearspecial)

Details on Lord Sear’s hip-hop career

A special tribute to Watson will air on Thursday from 12–4 p.m. ET/9 a.m.- 1 p.m. PT on SiriusXM’s Shade 45. During the timeslot, his friends will share memories of their relationship with the hip-hop icon, according to the post and SiriusXM.

No official cause of death has been released, and no further details have been shared.

Watson built a lasting legacy in hip-hop, from his early work with ’90s hip-hop artist Kurious to appearances on the influential underground radio show The Stretch and Bobbito Show. He later toured on Eminem’s Anger Management Tour in the early 2000s and spent more than two decades with Shade 45, where he helped shape the culture, according to SiriusXM.

In addition to his hip-hop career, Watson lent his voice to Grand Theft Auto III and made a cameo on Big Pun’s 2000 Yeeeah Baby album intro, per Billboard.

Watson is primarily recognized as a pioneering figure in the hip-hop and rap worlds. Other hip-hop artists and prominent DJs paid tribute to him in the post shared on his Instagram page.

What is the hip-hop world saying about Lord Sear’s death?

“God bless i know him my whole career love you sear,” Fat Joe wrote.

“Love You Sear. Crazy we spoke Monday night and you sounded fine.

Snapping on each other like we always do,” DJ Premier said.

“Rest In Peace to my brother LORD SEAR 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 🕊️ 🕊️ thank you 🙌,” Lloyd Banks wrote.

“My friend… damn this just stopped me in my tracks. 🤲🏾🙏🏽,” Papoose said.

SiriusXM

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