Lord Sear, Hip-Hop Radio Mainstay, Dies at 52

Lord Sear, a veteran DJ and radio host, has died. Shade 45, the Eminem-founded SiriusXM station where Lord Sear hosted shows for more than two decades, confirmed the news on social media, but did not disclose a cause of death. He was 52.

“Sear was more than a voice on the radio,” Shade 45’s statement read. “He was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us!” The station will run a memorial show in his honor on March 12 during his usual time slot, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, where friends and collaborators will “share memories and celebrate the incredible life he lived.”

Born and raised in New York, Lord Sear, real name Steve Watson, first found an audience as a touring DJ for Kurious before joining the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR in the 1990s. Watson eventually became a co-host on the show, which would provide an early platform for influential artists including Jay-Z, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan.

In 2004, Watson was hired by Shade 45 and later joined Eminem on the Anger Management World Tour. Watson began his tenure at Shade 45 as a co-host on the The All Out Show with Rude Jude, and later launched his own program, The Lord Sear Special, which he hosted until his death.

“I really like doing my show. I have fun doing it because it’s what I wanna do,” Watson told the blog The Real Hip-Hop in 2017. ”I play what I wanna play and I talk my shit, give people credit, and still have fun…It’s good for me, it’s good for my heart, it’s good for my soul.”

As an artist, Watson collaborated with the Beastie Boys, MF DOOM, Statik Selektah, and more during his lifetime. He released two solo 12-inch singles over the course of his career, 1997’s “Alcoholic Vibes / My Hindu Love” and 2000’s “Hello! (The Wake Up Call).” He also lent his voice to Grand Theft Auto III and IV in 2001 and 2008, respectively.

In the comment section of Shade 45’s announcement, tributes have come from E-40, Hit-Boy, Mos Def, Rapsody, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier, Westside Gunn, and others. “God bless, I know him my whole career,” Fat Joe wrote. “Love you Sear.”