WorldStarHipHop founder and CEO Lee “Q” O’Denat died suddenly on Monday (January 23) from a heart attack while visiting a San Diego massage parlor, according to the Los Angeles Times. The coroner’s office revealed that the cause of death is heart disease, with obesity as a contributing factor.
Paramedics were called when the 43-year-old digital media pioneer was found unresponsive, but they were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead around 5:30 p.m.
A source also told TMZ that Q had been pushing himself hard at the gym to lose weight ahead of the scheduled February 3 premiere of WorldStar TV, the upcoming MTV2 show where comedians and Hip Hop personalities provide commentary on videos from the site.
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WorldStar posted tributes to O’Denat on their social accounts after news of his death went public.
“Q was a brilliant businessman who championed urban culture, ultimately creating the largest hiphop website in the world,” one tweet said. “But more than that, he was a devoted father and one of the nicest, most generous persons to ever grace this planet.”
We ask that you remember Q in your prayers and raise a toast to the sky in his name. RIP ? pic.twitter.com/ixsULQil32
— WORLDSTARHIPHOP (@WORLDSTAR) January 24, 2017
