ALL YOUR HIPHOP AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS IN ONE PLACE!
Jazz Great James Mtume - Who Was Immortalized In Biggie's 'Juicy' Classic - Has Died
January 10, 2022
Jazz musician/composer James Mtume passed away on Sunday (January 9), just six days after his 76th birthday. The Philadelphia native rose to notoriety working with fellow jazz impresario Miles Davis between 1971 and 1975, and released a series of well-received albums throughout his career.
The biological son of jazz saxophone legend Jimmy Heath of The Heath Brothers, Mtume is perhaps best known for being the mastermind behind the 1983 single “Juicy Fruit” with his band Mtume, which was the blueprint for Biggie’s 1994 classic “Juicy.”
Serving as the title track from the Juicy Fruit album, the song wound up being sampled by numerous Hip Hop artists, including U.T.F.O., Warren G, Stetsasonic, Fat Joe, Lil Kim, Snoop Dogg and Common.
While Mtume hadn’t released a studio album since 1986’s Theater of the Mind, a compilation album called Prime Time: The Epic Anthology arrived in 2017. In the meantime, Mtume became a radio personality for New York City’s KISS 98.7 FM. In 2019, he gave a TED Talk titled “Our Common Ground in Music.”
James Mtume celebrated his birthday on January 3 and marked the occasion on Instagram with a series of throwback photos. He wrote he was “Feeling amazing and surrounded by family” in the caption, suggesting his passing was unexpected (no cause of death has been disclosed as of publication time).
Par for the course, the music community is coming out in droves to express their condolences. DJ Premier, Questlove, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Naughty By Nature’s Vin Rock and Parliament-Funkadelic legend Bootsy Collins were among the many paying tribute online.
“Another legendary Boss we just lost,” Collins wrote. “Mr. James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality. He came to prominence with “Juicy Fruit” & a top-5 R&B hit single “You, Me & He. Join me in sending Prayers to his Family & Friends. (He Changed frequencies today 1-9-22). Ur musical contributions will live forever. R.I.P. our dear musical Brother…Bootsy baby.”
HipHopDX sends our condolences to the Mtume family.
Thx Tumes #RestInBeats James Mtume @jamesmtumelive @GianaGarel @hiphopgods pic.twitter.com/QMBF0GVsr1
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) January 10, 2022
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) January 10, 2022
To the great ICON James Mtume (R.I.P.)
Thx for your incredible contributions to music!!!— DJ Premier (@REALDJPREMIER) January 9, 2022
— DJ Premier (@REALDJPREMIER) January 9, 2022
View this post on Instagram
Breaking News
- Azealia Banks Reflects on American and Israeli Culture Amid Move To Tel Aviv
- Manuel Seal, Producer of Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together,’ Dead at 66
- Manuel Seal, Producer of Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together,’ Dead at 66
- Yaya Mayweather Ordered to Pay $50M to Woman Stabbed in NBA YoungBoy’s Home
- 50 Cent and Reebok Revive G-Unit Line With G6 Sneaker Release
- Mattel Honors Whitney Houston With New Barbie Doll You Can Now Buy
- Method Man Drops Limited-Edition Hat Collection with TWNTY-TWO and TICAL Athletics
- Ol’ Dirty Bastard Gets Brooklyn Street Renamed In His Honor
- Eminem’s Ex-Wife Tased During Arrest, Faces Seven Years In Prison For Biting Officer
- Nolan Wells’ Mother Demands Peace At Funeral While Seeking Answers
