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RIP: Rapper, Producer and Former EPMD Dancer Stezo Dead at 51

Old school rapper, producer, and former EPMD dancer Steve Williams, better known by his stage name Stezo, has passed away today, April 30th, his producer Chris Lowe confirmed on Twitter, according to Brooklyn Vegan. His cause of death is not yet known. Stezo was 51 years old at the time of his death.

Several of hip hop’s pioneers and influential figures, including Questlove of The Roots, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Stretch Armstrong, EL-P of Run The Jewels, DJ Green Lantern, and more have taken to social media to celebrate the life and legacy of Stezo in the hip hop community. Questlove wrote about the artist, “Before Hammer’s pants, there was #Stezo…before we all abused that #SkullSnaps #ItsANewDay break…there was Stezo. Before #AtomicDog fed an ENTIRE GENRE….there was Stezo. While your favorite rapper was asking so & so & such & such to do some beats for em….Stezo was doing it all himself.”

Stezo was one of the first hip hop artists to take part in both the rapping and production aspects of his music, releasing his self-produced album Crazy Noise in 1989. Stezo was known for his percise rapping over his funky-based beats. You can check out more tributes posted on social media by hip hop figures below:

Stezo
Drew Feinerman: I have just completed my senior at the University of Michigan majoring in international studies with an emphasis in political economics and development, with a minor in Chinese language and culture, and I have recently been accepted into the Berklee School of Music's masters of music business program. Although my academic interests include economics, political science, and history, I consider music to be my one true passion. Music is, and has always been, a driving force for the way I think and act every day of my life. I have been playing the tenor saxophone since the age of ten, and playing an instrument at a high level has allowed me to only further my understanding and appreciation for music. While I grew up listening to predominantly classic rock, I soon found myself gravitating toward jazz, hip-hop, funk, and other genres, as my learned to both play and analyze music as a listener. As a writer, I am able to apply my skills both as a musician and a listener, and look forward to the opportunity to being able to express my thoughts on various stories in the music industry.
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