Grime pioneer Dot Rotten dead at 37
Pioneering Grime MC Dot Rotten has reportedly died at the age of 37.
The London rapper, singer, and producer (real name Joseph Ellis-Stevenson), also known by the stage name Zeph Ellis, died over the weekend.
According to the BBC, his family confirmed his death on March 9th. Details surrounding his passing are unknown, but reports suggest he died in The Gambia.
Rotten was born in Stockwell, South London, in 1988. He released his first mixtape, This Is the Beginning, as Young Dot in 2007, and became known as the Biological Father of Grime.
He dropped his debut album, Voices in My Head, on Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records in 2013. His highest-charting single, ‘Overload’, a collaboration with TMS, reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.
Rotten appeared on Ed Sheeran’s No. 5 Collaborations Project in 2011 alongside other grime stars like Wiley, Ghetts, JME, Wretch 32, Devlin, and P Money. Throughout his career, he also worked with Chip, D Double E, Cher Lloyd, Scrufizzer, Mic Righteous, and others.
Many collaborators and figures in the UK music scene took to social media to pay tribute to Rotten following the tragic news.
DJ Logan Sama wrote on X, “Talent in abundance. His impact on the scene was not just as a brilliant artist but also the guidance and inspiration he gave to hundreds of other aspiring creators around him. Never, ever received the accolades or rewards for his craft that it deserved. Rest in peace, Dot.”
Wiley shared an old photo of himself and Rotten, posting tears, broken heart, and dove emojis in the caption.
Music manager and media personality, Bouncer, wrote on Instagram, “Some very sad news to come out of the UK today. Grime LEGEND & pioneer Dot Rotten has sadly passed away age 37 in Gambia. RIP to the legend.”