The hip-hop world is grieving the death of Big Kap, who reportedly passed away early Wednesday morning at the age of 45. Funkmaster Flex first broke the news of the 45-year-old DJ's passing via his personal Instagram account, writing "Rest in peace.... Big Kap..." Additional details on the circumstances of his death remain unknown.
Big Kap—whose real name was Keith Carter—released the hugely influential album The Tunnel in 1999, a collaboration with Funk Flex that featured rap verses from Jay Z, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nas, Method Man, LL Cool J, Erik Sermon, Raekwon and Notorious B.I.G. The album was named after the now-closed Manhattan Tunnel club, one of the busiest (and wildest) hip-hop spots of the mid-1990s. Today, The Tunnel endures as Kap's most essential release.
He also spent time working as Biggie's live DJ—a professional relationship that was not without its fair share of scuffles...
Big Kap was a member of the Flip Squad DJ collective, along with local legends like Biz Markie, Cipha Sounds, Mister Cee, and DJ Enuff. Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg remembered him as an "incredible talker with a unique and awesome voice," in a post to Instagram this morning. "[A]lways good for a warm smile and a sincere conversation... Was always very fond of this guy ever since I met him," Rosenberg wrote.
Other messages of grief and gratitude for Big Kap have been posted by Questlove, The Wu Tang Clan, DJ/producer Pete Rock, Alchemist, and many more.
