Responsible for helping to shape the sound of Southern hip hop and extending the boundaries of R&B as one-third of production trio Organized Noize, legendary Atlanta producer/ songwriter Rico Wade has died at age 52.
Atlanta rapper Killer Mike among many others shared their condolences via social media posts Saturday morning.
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RIP Rico Wade. Thank you for everything you gave us. Sad i never got to thank you in person. 🙏🏽
— Alchemist Type Beat (@Alchemist) April 13, 2024
Rico Wade a forever legend 💔 RIP Big Dog thank u for everything 🙏🏾…
— MR. MADE-IT (@MikeWiLLMadeIt) April 13, 2024
The founder of Organized Noize and Dungeon Family along with Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown, Wade’s mother’s basement was the location of the famed Dungeon, the early studio where OutKast and Goodie Mob would record their earliest hits. The production team Organized Noize also produced hits for TLC, including their biggest hit “Waterfalls.”