Lee Hyun Bae, also known as Smash, of South Korean hip hop trio 45RPM has died at 48 on April 17.
The news was confirmed by representatives of his brother, DJ DOC’s Lee Ha Neul, as reported by ALLKPOP. According to the report, the rapper died of a heart attack in his Jeju Island home and his body will be moved back to Seoul. Lee Ha Neul and his fellow DJ DOC member Jung Jae Yong are said to have “immediately flown to Jeju Island” after hearing the news.
45RPM was founded in 1999 by members Smash, J-Kwondo, and Red Roc. As one of the longest-running hip hop groups in South Korea, the trio mostly remained underground throughout their career. In a 2013 interview with The Korea Herald, Lee Hyun Bae expressed his desire for “45RPM to continue performing together as a group, even when they get old.” He said, “We’ve never been the best group. But we know our own color and we want people to be happy when they listen to our music. As a group, we hope that when people listen to our music, they enjoy it.”
Our condolences to Lee Hyun Bae’s family and loved ones.
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Watch “붐박스” by 45RPM feat. 기린 and DJ Soulscape from 2015:
