R.I.P. Double K, People Under the Stairs
Left, Double K, Right, Thes One.
Hip-hop heads, it’s been a rough month.
On New Year’s day, we got facepalmed with the news that MF Doom had died. Now, we’re mourning the loss of another great MC — Michael Turner, otherwise known as Double K of the Los Angeles hip-hop duo People Under the Stairs, has died at the age of 43.
Though the cause of death has not yet been revealed, the rapper and producer reportedly passed away in his sleep according to friend and collaborator DJ Mark Luv.
Tributes are flooding in from rappers and producers like Open Mike Eagle, Chuck D, Casey Veggies, and Dâm-Funk on Twitter.
In addition to dropping a slew of critically acclaimed records, Double K and his partner-in-crime Thes One were an inspiration to generations of D.I.Y. producers and rappers. The duo is celebrated in the hip-hop community for their get-in-the-van mentality, producing the entirety of their 11 album catalog themselves. The group was also ahead-of-the-curve business-wise, releasing their final three records on their own label, Piecelock 70.
Play O.S.T. loud today, folks.