By Kwame Tony 
DJ Mark The 45 King, the skilled producer and DJ responsible for hits like “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and “Stan,” among other hip-hop classics, passed away. Jay-Z and Eminem are grieving his passing, along with the rest of the hip-hop world.
DJ Premier sent a social media statement on Thursday, October 19, announcing the death of The 45 King, whose true name was Mark Howard James. Paul Martinez, his manager, subsequently verified the information.
The cause of death is yet unknown, but Premo disclosed in his touching Instagram post that the producer, who was born in the Bronx and turned 62 on Monday, October 16, was hospitalized earlier this week.
Young Guru, Jay-Z’s longtime engineer, sent a tribute to The 45 King on Instagram after hearing of his passing.
The message was from Roc Nation founder.
“Thank you, Mark. Your instrumentals, namely ‘The 900 Number,’ were more memorable than our whole albums,” Hov wrote. “You gave me a canvas to have a conversation with the world!! You changed my life. Even when the life is short, the art is long!!”
Source: Dklassgh.com