Eminem’s longtime DJ Lord Shear has died at the age of 52.
The legendary hip-hop icon, whose real name was Steve Watson, passed away on Wednesday.
His death was announced on Shear’s Instagram page the same day, but the cause of death was not disclosed.
“We are heartbroken and saddened by the loss of Lord Shear,” the memorial read, along with three photos of the late SiriusXM host. “He was more than a voice on the radio. He was a strength, a friend, and a family member to many of us.”
The moving tribute also said that Sia’s “hip-hop heritage runs deep” and then looks back on his rise from “a proud member of the CM family” to establishing “a reputation that rivals the Curious of hip-hop artists.”
Shear joined Curious in the early 1990s before joining New York City’s underground hip-hop radio show Stretch Armstrong and Bobbitt.
He later toured with Eminem on Eminem’s Anger Management Tour in the early 2000s, and later served as host and DJ on Eminem’s hip-hop station, Shade 45 on SiriusXM, from its inception in 2004 until his death.
“Rest in peace, Lord Shear,” ended the eulogy for the late DJ. “Culture never forgets you.”
Eminem remembered Sia in a post on his social media Wednesday night.
“Sia was one of the greatest people around. I’ll never forget the way he made me laugh when we toured together,” the “Lose Yourself” rapper tweeted. “The time we spent together at (Shade 45) was always some of my favorite interviews.”
Eminem continued, “He made the world a better place and he will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace Lil Trey aka (Lord Sear)!!!”
SiriusXM confirmed to Page Six that a tribute to the late DJ and “hip hop great” will be aired on Shade 45 (Ch. 45) on Thursdays and Fridays from 12pm to 4pm ET, allowing “friends to come together” to “share memories and celebrate the amazing life he lived.”
In addition to his work with Eminem and SiriusXM, Shear provided the distinctive voice for the fictional Game FM radio station in the video games “Grand Theft Auto III” and “Grand Theft Auto IV.”
“I really love doing my own show,” Shear said in a 2017 interview. “It’s fun to do because that’s what I want to do. I play what I want, express my opinion, give people credit, and still have fun.”
“I don’t disrespect crazy people, but it’s because it’s fun and it’s not out of character. I don’t mean to disrespect anyone. I like to have fun with it. It’s good for me, it’s good for my heart, it’s good for my soul. I like doing it.”
