Died On This Date (September 13, 2011) DJ Mehdi Faveris-Essadi / French Electronic & Hip-Hop Producer
themusicsover Mehdi Faveris-Essadi
1977 – September 13, 2011
Known professionally as DJ Mehdi, Mehdi Faveris-Essadi was a prominent French DJ and producer who has been praised throughout the underground hip-hop scene for his skills at combining elements of hip-hop and electronica. During his early professional years, Faveris-Essadi was a DJ or producer for such acts as Different Teep, Ideal J, and 113. He also worked on several French film soundtracks. As his reputation grew, Faveris-Essadi began collaborating with the likes of Chromeo, Daft Punk and Asian Dub Foundation. Faveris-Essadi released a handful of his own critically albums as well, beginning with 2002’s The Story of Espion. On September 13, 2011, DJ Mehdi Faveris-Essadi died in a tragic mishap that resulted in his falling through the roof his house. He and friends had reportedly been on the roof celebrating his birthday.
What You Should Own
Leon Botha was a visual artist and turntablist who is perhaps best remembered for his collaborations with fellow South African alt-Hip Hop outfit, Die Antwoord. Performing under the name, DJ Solarize, Botha appeared in Die Antwoord’s immensely popular video, “Enter The Ninja,” and toured with them as opening act. In 2007, Botha presented his first art exhibit, Liquid Sword: I am HipHop, which revolved around his love of the music. Botha suffered from the rare genetic disorder, progeria which produces rapid aging and generally leads to death of the afflicted by their early teens. In Botha’s case however, he beat the odds for several years. On June 5, 2011, just one day past his 26th birthday, Leon Botha died of heart failure, a by-product of progeria.
Gil Scott-Heron was an American poet, musician, and author who has been called the “Godfather of Rap” due to the social and political commentary of his work as well as the vocal delivery with which he presented his songs. Had there been such a word during the early ’70s, his spoken word over a jazz backdrop would have been called “rap.” These early recordings were the foundation on which rap, hip-hop, and neo-soul were built. In 1970, he released a song/poem entitled “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which many consider the exact moment at which hip-hop was born even though we wouldn’t know it for at least another 10 years. Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s, Scott-Heron lent his voice to political and social causes like the 1979 No Nukes Concert and 1985’s Artists United Against Apartheid’s Sun City benefit album. Scott-Heron spent a good part of the 2000s in jail due to various drug related charges, but in 2010, his career experienced a renaissance when he was signed to hip independent label, XL Recordings, home to such artists as Adele, the XX, Vampire Weekend, and Sigur Ros. His label debut, I’m New Here, which was his first album in 16 years, turned him on to a whole new generation of both hip-hop fans and hipsters alike. On May 27, 2011, it was announced that Gil Scott-Heron, age 62, passed away in a New York City hospital earlier that day. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Macho Man Randy Savage was more commonly known as a wildly flamboyant WWF professional wrestler who held no fewer than 30 championship belts. But Savage also made a mark on popular music as well. In 2003, Savage released his only album, a rap collection entitled, Be A Man that included the hit “diss” on Hulk Hogan of the same name. The CD comes highly recommended by no less than indie-rock darling, Devendra Banhart by way of a 2007 
M-Bone was a Los Angeles rapper and member of up-and-coming hip-hop group, Cali Swag Disrict. Formed in 2010, the group scored a hit with “Teach Me How To Dougie,” which ultimately cracked the the Top 30 on the Billboard singles chart. Signed to Capitol Records, Cali Swag District’s debut album was expected to be released in 2011. M-Bone was shot and killed during an apparently random drive-by shooting outside an Inglewood, California liquor store on May 15, 2011. He was 22.