DJ Lord Sear Remembered: “One of the greatest people to be around”

Beloved Shade 45 DJ and host Lord Sear died at age 52. Shade 45 confirmed Sear’s (real name Steve Watson) death on Wednesday, March 11, though the details about his death have yet to be made public. Shade 45 honored Sear with a tribute episode on Thursday. 

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Lord Sear. He was more than a voice on the radio — he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us," a tribute post on Sears' Instagram page reads. "Lord Sear's legacy in hip hop runs deep."

In the 1990s, he built a name as DJ for the group Kurious. He grew his fanbase with work on the underground hip-hop radio show, The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show. He also toured the world as part of Eminem's Anger Management Tour in the early 2000s.

Sear was co-host of the All Out Show with Rude Jude and remained a fixture on the SiriusXM station for 20 years. Sear hosted The Lord Sear Special up until his death. 

In the wake of his passing, numerous figures in the hip-hop community have shared their condolences and paid tribute to Lord Sear. You can check out some commentary from Fat Joe, Mickey Factz and Eminem below.