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Mark Howard James, the producer known as “DJ Mark The 45 King” who worked with such rap hitmakers as Queen Latifah, Jay-Z and Eminem among many others, has died at 62.

His manager confirmed the death, but provided no further details.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., James started producing in the mid-1980s as hip-hop became a cultural force He produced Queen Latifah’s debut album All Hail the Queen in the late ’80s, then was behind the board for such rap classics such as Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) and Stan by Eminem .

He earned his professional name by culling bits from obscure 45 singles His breakout track, The 900 Number, was released in 1987, and featured a prominent saxophone snippet from Marva Whitney’s 1968 song, Unwind Yourself. The song has been sampled and remixed by artists including DJ Kool, Public Enemy, Breakestra, and Ced Gee.

James was part of the...

DJ Mark The 45 King, best known as the producer of classic hits by Eminem, Jay-Z, and Queen Latifah, has died at 62 years old.

The news was first shared on Thursday, October 19th by DJ Premier, who posted a statement on Instagram that the Bronx native had died in the morning — just days after celebrating his birthday. No cause of death has been revealed, but Premier mentioned that The 45 King had recently been in the hospital.

Born Mark Howard James, The 45 King helped form Flavor Unit — a group of rappers and DJs from New York City and Northern New Jersey which counted Queen Latifah, Chill Rob G, Lakim Shabazz, and Apache among its members — in the late 1980s. Latifah signed to Tommy Boy Records in 1989, and featured his production heavily on her debut album, All Hail the Queen, including her breakout hit, “Ladies First.”

After battling drug addiction in the early 1990s,...

Just because you're trapped in a deadly time loop doesn't mean you can't enjoy a romantic vacation with that special someone at the Bog Grove island resort, as evidenced in a new holiday-themed trailer for Craig Singer's mind-bending horror film 6:45 that looks to chill and warm your heart in equal doses.

We'll be sure to let Daily Dead readers know when a release date is announced for 6:45, and in the meantime you can unwrap the festive new trailer below, and visit the film's official website for additional details.

Directed by Singer from a screenplay by Robert Dean Klein, 6:45 stars Thomas G. Waites, Augie Duke, Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Sasha K. Gordon, and Armen Garo.

Synopsis: "In this heart-racing psychological thriller, we are introduced to Bobby Patterson who is taking one last romantic shot at saving his rocky relationship with his girlfriend Jules Rables on a weekend getaway. The...

A couple on vacation at a seemingly sleepy island resort find themselves trapped in a deadly time loop in the new horror film 6:45, and we've been provided with the official trailer and plot details.

Directed by Craig Singer from a screenplay by Robert Dean Klein, 6:45 stars Thomas G. Waites, Augie Duke, Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Sasha K. Gordon, and Armen Garo.

Synopsis: "In this heart-racing psychological thriller, we are introduced to Bobby Patterson who is taking one last romantic shot at saving his rocky relationship with his girlfriend Jules Rables on a weekend getaway. The couple arrives for a vacation in the quiet island resort called "Bog Grove." To their bewilderment, the sleepy beach town is curiously deserted and they quickly learn about its deadly history that's about to repeat itself. Bobby’s struggles with Jules are cast aside in order to overcome a dementing cycle of terror that transpires.