Early this morning, news emerged that artist and producer Dot Rotten had passed away. He was 37 years old.

The multi-talented Joseph Ellis-Stevenson, who went by Dot Rotten and Zeph Ellis, was a towering figure in grime whose influence on the sound's trajectory can not be overstated.

He was a driving force behind grime's competitive spirit, sparring with rival MCs and producers to give the genre some of its most thrilling moments. His bouts with Stormzy, Chip and P Money were all historic moments and brought the best out of all involved.

As a producer, he was also pivotal in pushing grime into new directions, constantly experimenting with the formula to fold in glossy electronics to create tracks like "Earthquake" or "Microphone" and the balance between raw grime and R&B/pop grandeur on "Keep It On The Low" rewrote the rulebook. No cause of death has been revealed yet, but news of his passing has been confirmed by sources close to Ellis.

May he rest in eternal peace 🕊️