Eminem and Shade 45 mourn the death of Lord Sear

Lord Sear, a longtime voice on Shade 45, the channel founded by Eminem, has died at the age of 53. The DJ — born Steve Watson — passed away Wednesday, with the news first confirmed in a post shared by Shade 45. Sear had been part of the station’s on-air lineup for more than two decades, becoming a recognizable voice and personality for listeners of Eminem’s SiriusXM platform.

“One of my earliest friends when I moved to NY in ’96 was DJ @lordsear,” Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg, wrote on Instagram. “There’s very few people as endearing, as humorous and that could light up a room and entertain in the way that he could… We are all lucky to have experienced his gift and I will miss his friendship and warmth dearly.”

Eminem also shared his own tribute on Instagram, saying Sear “made the world a better place and I’m gonna seriously miss that.” “Sear was one of the greatest people to be around, I will never forget how he made me laugh on our tour together,” Eminem wrote, recalling Sear’s presence during the Anger Management Tour. “Our time on @Shade45 together was always some of my favorite interviews.”

Shade 45 announced it will honor Sear on Thursday from 12–4 p.m. during what would have been his regular time slot. Friends, family, and fans are encouraged to call the station at 888-742-3345 to share memories and tributes.

Many figures from the hip-hop world also paid their respects on Instagram, including D12 members, Lloyd Banks, Papoose, DJ Premier, Royce da 5’9″, Kool Keith, Xzibit, Big Boi, Yasiin Bey, Westside Gunn, Teddy Riley, Fat Joe, E-40, and Busta Rhymes, among others. “Man, I’m having trouble processing that our brother is gone,” B-Real wrote on Instagram. “RIP to my loved one.”

Born and raised in Harlem, Sear was also involved in New York’s influential 1990s underground hip-hop radio program The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, where he became known for humorously roasting callers and guests. Outside of radio, he also contributed voice work to the video games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto IV.