DJ Mark the 45 King

Mark Howard James (October 16, 1961 – October 19, 2023), professionally known as The 45 King and also known as DJ Mark the 45 King, was an American hip hop producer and DJ from The Bronx, New York. He began DJing in the mid-1980s. His pseudonym, the 45 King, came from his ability to make beats using obscure 45 RPM records. In 1998, the 45 King produced “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” for Jay-Z. The song was a hit and featured a looped chorus from the original cast album of the Broadway musical Annie. In an interview, Jay-Z spoke on the 45 King’s importance to hip hop and called him a true pioneer of the business. In 2000, he produced the platinum-certified track “Stan” by Eminem. The 45 King died on October 19, 2023, at the age of 62.

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