Grime artiste and producer Dot Rotten, born Joseph Ellis-Stevenson, has sadly passed way, according to sources close to him. A cause of death has not been confirmed.
The South London-born artist was a hugely influential figure in grime, emerging in the mid-2000s and blazing a trail as one of the scene’s renegades.
Originally known as Young Dot, later Dot Rotten and then Zeph Ellis, Stevenson scored one of his earliest breakout moments with his debut mixtape in 2007. A deal with Mercury soon after, as well as a nomination for the BBC Sound Of in 2012.
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Known as a renaissance man of grime, his talents as both MC and producer were both legendary and pioneering, constantly testing the boundaries of grime, experimenting with elements of R&B, club music and forging ties with mainstream titans like Ed Sheeran.
As a producer, his catalogue of riddims was up there with the best, including the stone-cold classic “XCXD BXMB”, which has been vocalled countless times, most famously on hits for Kano and AJ Tracey. As an MC, he was a heavyweight, clashing with the very best and giving the fans solid-gold every time.
Recent years had been relatively quiet for Dot Rotten, but there was hopes that he would return one day.
Many in the scene have taken to social media to pay tribute to the star.
