Ecstasy, the legendary pioneer of the group Whodini has died at the age of 56.
Ecstasy joined Grandmaster Dee and Jalil, to form the group. Known to fans by his trademark Zorro hat, Ecstacy helped shape the modern hip-hop era by taking the scene out of the singles age an into a time of full length albums.
“Ecstasy, as a member of Whodini was one of the most influential rap groups of all time. Period. They were a bit different from Run-D.M.C in that they didn’t incorporate rock into their music but they did blend hip-hop and R&B seamlessly. The impact of that is still being felt today. They were classic hip-hop in every form and Ecstasy was a standout because he would wear a leather wide-brimmed hat. That always made him stand out,” Chuck Creekmur, co-founder and CEO of AllHipHop.
“This is really painful, this is one of our loved ones in hip-hop. We feel like as hardcore fans of hip-hop that they ever got all the flowers they were due. They got some of their flowers but they didn’t get all the flowers they deserved.”
Whodini blended hip-hop and R&B in a way that previous groups did not. Using lyrical phrasing as opposed to simple funk and rock samples. The fusion of the two sounds would be a precursor to the inevitable marriage of the styles that became realized with the birth of BBD and Teddy Riley's creation of New Jack Swing.
“One Love to Ecstasy of the Legendary #Whodini. This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. This is sad man,” Questlove posted on Instagram.
“RIP to Ecstasy from Whodini.one of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop. Too many hits! Condolences to his fam,” Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest tweeted.
Jermaine Dupri expressed his devastation
“My God, this one hurts me so bad, I can’t even believe I’m posting this, Ex you know I love you Folded hands Folded hands thank you for every word, every conversation every good time, may your soul Rest In Power,” he tweeted.
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