DJ Erick Morillo, who is best known for the legendary 1993 dance track “I Like To Move It,” has passed away at the age of 49. Miami Beach police responded to a 911 call yesterday morning and are currently investigating the circumstances of his death. As of press time there isn’t a known cause of death and no signs of foul play were originally detected by police.
Morillo began his career in the 1980s, making his way through the iconic New York club scene before making a name for himself in the 1990s with his surprise 1991 hit “Muevelo.” He eventually became friends with house icon “Little” Louie Vega and began releasing tracks for the seminal record label Strictly Rhythm.
Morillo utilized a variety of pseudonyms throughout his career including Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, Li’l Mo Ying Yang and Reel 2 Real. He released “I Like To Move It” as Reel 2 Real in 1993 under the Strictly Rhythm label, which became an international hit, getting featured in a plethora of commercial, television spots and films. He has been nominated 15 times for the annual DJ awards, winning Best International DJ three times and the Best House DJ three times
The DJ was recently charged with sexual battery after turning himself in last month and was set to go to court on these charges two days from now. Both him and his accuser were working as DJs for a private party in late 2019, when the alleged sexual battery occurred.