Whodini star
The hip-hop world mourns John "Ecstasy" Fletcher
John Fletcher (center) with colleagues from Whodini at VH1 Hip Hop Honors in 2007.
© imago images / ZUMA Press
Whodini member John "Ecstasy" Fletcher was considered an early hip-hop pioneer. After his unexpected death, many colleagues mourn.
After the unexpected death of John "Ecstasy" Fletcher (1964-2020), the cause of which is not yet known, the hip-hop world is in mourning. The rapper, who founded Whodini ("Freaks Come Out at Night") in New York's Brooklyn district in 1982, died on Wednesday (December 23) at the age of 56, as his family confirmed to the music magazine "Billboard". Numerous stars have already bid farewell to their companions with emotional words.
One of the first musicians to express their dismay about the death of the rap star was Questlove (49). The co-founder and drummer of the hip-hop group The Roots ("You Got Me"), which is part of the "Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" as a studio band, wrote on Twitter: "This man was legendary and a central member of one of the most legendary groups in hip-hop. That's sad, man."
Jalil Hutchins: "There will never be someone like that again"
"Much love to one of the greats of hip-hop!", Fletcher's Whodini colleague Jalil Hutchins told Billboard in a statement. "There will never be someone like that again." The rapper was also a founding member of the trio that DJ Grandmaster Dee aka Drew Carter (58) joined in 1986.
Also with the short message service Twitter So So Def Records boss and rap musician Jermaine Dupri (48, "Welcome to Atlanta") spoke up. "My God, that hits me so much. I can't believe I'm posting that," he wrote about a Whodini video and at the same time addressed direct words to the deceased: "You know I love you. Thank you for each Word, any conversation, the good times. "
For Q-Tip he was "one of the most undervalued voices"
The 50-year-old Q-Tip described his colleague "Ecstasy" Fletcher as "one of the most underrated voices in hip-hop" on Twitter. The member of the successful formation A Tribe Called Quest ("Electric Relaxation") also expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased.
Rapper and actor Ice Cube (51, "Ride Along") shared a photo of the Whodini star with his Instagram followers. Next to it he wrote: "Thank you, Ecstasy, for showing us how to do it." He also added the word "RIP" ("Rest in Peace") to his post.
Other rap stars who have already commented on Fletcher's death include the group Arrested Development, rappers Chuck D (60) and Phonte (41) and music producer Dante Ross (53).