Hip Hop lost a pioneer today (January 24) with the news that WorldStarHipHop founder Lee “Q” O’Denat has died.
Details are scant at this point, but TMZ reports that Q passed away in his sleep at the age of 43. Their source says he died of a heart attack, although an autopsy will happen later today.
Q, who grew up in Queens, New York, started WorldStarHipHop in 2005 as a platform for mixtapes. The site evolved to become a hub for music videos and outrageous clips. WorldStar has been criticized for the graphic nature of its content, but Q explained his vision for the company in a 2015 interview with the New York Times.
“Hip-hop is for the sex, the drugs, the violence, the beefs, the culture,” he said. “That’s the competitiveness of Hip Hop, so I felt like the site needed to be R-rated.”
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Reports of Q’s death come just ahead of the February 3 premiere of Worldstar TV on MTV2. The weekly show will feature comedians and Hip Hop personalities reacting to clips from the site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpy6dfWx7l4
He leaves behind three children.
Here are some of the initial reactions from around the Hip Hop community.
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HipHopDX sends its condolences to the family and friends of Lee “Q” O’Denat.
