The 45 King

Born

October 16, 1961

Died

October 19, 2023 · age 62

From

East Orange, New Jersey, USA

The 45 King, who was born Mark Howard James, was a pioneer in the 1980s New York hip-hop scene and worked with early rap stars like the Funky 4. His pseudonym, the 45 King, came from his ability to make beats using obscure 45 RPM records.