Hip hop pioneer DJ Kay Slay dies of COVID-19 at age 55

FILE - DJ Kay Slay attends a listening party for "Violator The Album: V2.0" in New York on July 12, 2001. Slay has died of complications from COVID-19. DJ Kay Slay was born Keith Grayson. His death at age 55 on Sunday, April 17, 2022, was confirmed by his family in a statement released through radio station HOT 97, where he hosted The Drama Hour. (AP Photo/Darla Khazei, File) (Darla Khaze, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NEW YORK ā€“ Pioneering hip hop artist Keith Grayson, who performed as DJ Kay Slay and worked with top stars, has died of complications from COVID-19.

Grayson's death at age 55 on Sunday was confirmed by his family in a statement released through New York radio station HOT 97, where he hosted ā€œThe Drama Hourā€ for more than two decades.

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ā€œA dominant figure in hip hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations,ā€ the family statement said.

Grayson grew up in Harlem, immersed in New York City's early hip hop scene. He got his start as a teenage graffiti artist and was featured in the 1983 hip hop documentary ā€œStyle Wars."

He began selling bootleg mixtapes on street corners in the early '90s and released his first studio album, ā€œThe Streetsweeper, Vol. 1,ā€ in May 2003. Grayson released several more albums and worked with the likes of Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes.

ā€œHot 97 is shocked and saddened by the loss of our beloved DJ Kay Slay,ā€ the station said in a statement.


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