Brooklyn rapper Sean Price, a member of hip-hop groups Heltah Skeltah, Boot Camp Clik and Random Axe, died Saturday at 43, record label Duck Down Music confirmed.
“It is with beyond a heavy heart that Duck Down Music is sadly confirming that Sean Price passed away early this morning in his Brooklyn apartment,” a statement on Duck Down Music’s website said.
The cause of his death is not currently known, the statement said. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Price rose to fame under the name Ruck as one-half of Heltah Skeltah with fellow Brownsville rapper Jahmal Bush, also known as Rock. The group released its debut album, Nocturnal, in 1996.
The two were members of hip-hop collective Boot Camp Clik, which included Black Moon’s Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun’s Tek and Steele and the trio O.G.C., according to Billboard. Boot Camp Clik released its first album, For the People, in 1997.
Price made albums with Heltah Skeltah and Boot Camp Clik until deciding to rebrand under his birth name for his first solo album, 2005’s Monkey Barz on Duck Down Records. His latest album, Mic Tyson, was released in 2012.
Price and rapper Ill Bill were said to be working on a collaborative album titled The Pill, according to Billboard. The fate of the project is not clear.
His death touched the hip-hop community, drawing tributes from across a wide spectrum of performers.
“Sean Price went from being a childhood hero of mine to a great friend. He was the most competitive MC I’ve ever met & kept me on my game,” said fellow Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli.
MC Freddie Foxxx, also known as Bumpy Knuckles, called Price “true emcee” and a “real warrior for hip hop.”
“Sean Price passing is a blow to the culture,” he said.