Tributes are flowing in for rapper Dot Rotten, recognised for his breakout song Overload, following his death aged 37.
The musician’s death has been confirmed by his family to the BBC; however, no details of the circumstances have been released.
Some unverified reports have suggested he died in Gambia, but the family have not shared any details.
Since news of his death broke online, fellow MCs from the grime scene have been paying tribute to the pioneering artist.
‘Very sad news. Sleep well Dot,’ Sway wrote while Kwest shared: ‘RIP one of the greatest to do it.’ ‘Thoughts go out to his family. RIP to the brother,’ said music manager and media personality Bouncer Play Dirty, added.
Meanwhile, broadcaster Amplify Dot and singer Terri Walker simply posted broken heart emojis.
Even his former nemesis Wiley also paid his respect, posting a video, external of one of Ellis’s instrumentals with a dove emoji.
As DJ Logan Sama put it, Rotten had ‘talent in abundance’. ‘His impact on the scene was not just as a brilliant artist but also the guidance and inspiration he gave to hundreds of other aspiring creators around him. Never, ever received the accolades or rewards for his craft that it deserved.’
Meanwhile Lady Leshurr shared: ‘My jaw just dropped…rest in perfect peace Dot Rotten, we’ve lost another GOAT.’
Born Joseph Ellis in Stockwell, London, his career began when releasing a series of mixtapes independently under the names Young Dot and later Dot Rotten.
He started his career aged just seven, rapping and making his own music on an Atari computer system. His first mixtape, This Is the Beginning, was released in 2007 under the name Young Dot.
A year later, he changed his stage name to Dot Rotten, which was an acronym for ‘Dirty on Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told to Educate Nubians’, a cheeky nod to June Brown’s iconic EastEnders character, Dot Cotton.
Releasing the Rotten Riddims series of mixtapes in 2008, his tracks were described by Clash magazine as ‘some of grime’s most pertinent instrumental works’ that were setting ‘a benchmark for production styles’ in the genre.
After signing to Mercury Records, he released his debut studio album Voices in My Head in 2013.
He also made appearances on Ed Sheeran’s Goodbye to You, Mz Bratt’s Speeding By and Cher Lloyd’s Dub on the Track.
He was also invited by Gary Barlow to appear on the 2011 Children in Need single, a cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop that also featured Chipmunk, Wretch 32, Labrinth, Ms Dynamite and Rizzle Kicks.
But after making the decision to leave his label, he then went on to release several independent EP’s and other projects, then changing his name to Zeph Ellis and focusing on producing.
In 2012 the musician achieved a Top 20 hit with his single Overload, which he said was inspired by his experience with a ‘major depression’.
When speaking to Distract TV, he admitted being hesitant about releasing such a personal song and revealing the whole thing was ‘free-styled’. ‘I didn’t write one word for it,’ he explained.
‘It’s not the song I wanted to come out with, but it’s done a lot and I appreciate all of the feedback I’ve been getting from it.’
Since stepping out of the spotlight in recent years he’s produced tracks for artists including Headie One, D-Block Europe and Nines.
Previously speaking about never letting his success go to his head, Ellis once explained: ‘I’m very grounded. I try to stay very balanced. I have that skill of bringing people together and making things work, and that is what I’m trying to do.’
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