Lord Sear, who was a DJ and radio personality, died at age 52

Eminem, Lord Sear

Eminem and Lord Sear.Credit : Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

 

Eminem is paying his respects to DJ and radio personality Lord Sear after the news of his death was revealed on Wednesday, March 11.

Hours later, the “Till I Collapse” rapper wrote a sweet tribute to the DJ on X — and shared a clip from a playful radio interview in the past.

“Sear was one of the greatest people to be around, I will never forget how he made me laugh on our tour together,” Eminem, 53, wrote of Sear, who was prominent on the “Without Me” rapper’s SiriusXM channel Shade 45.

He added, “Our time on @Shade45 together was always some of my favorite interviews. He made the world a better place and I’m gonna seriously miss that. Rest in peace Lil Trey aka @LordSear!!!”

Sear’s death was announced in a collaborative Instagram post — which featured a series of throwback pictures — by Shade 45 and his personal account. A cause of death was not revealed. He was 52.

“He was more than a voice on the radio — he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us,” the captioned began.

“Lord Sear’s legacy in hip hop runs deep. A proud member of the CM family, he first made his mark along side hip-hop artist Kurious, before going on to the legendary Stretch and Bobbito show, touring the world on Eminem’s Anger Management Tour, and spending over 20 years as a cornerstone of the Shade 45 family — he helped shape the culture at every level,” the statement continued.

The message ended by asking followers to tune in on SiriusXM Shade 45, “where friends will come together during his slot to share memories and celebrate the incredible life he lived. 888 SHADE 45. Rest easy, Lord Sear. The culture will never forget you. 🕊️”

In the comments section, fellow hip-hop artists like DJ Premier, Fat Joe, Ludacris and E-40 paid tribute.

Lord Sear (born Steve Watson) — who was a New York native — gained early recognition as the touring DJ for rapper Kurious. Then, he became a core member of Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR. He also toured with Eminem on his Anger Management Tour.

Lord Sear attends The Roots Rising Down Listening Party on March 26, 2008 in New York City. (

Lord Sear in New York City in March 2008.Johnny Nunez/WireImage

In addition to his radio work, Sear also contributed to albums by Beastie Boys, Big Pun, MF DOOM, The X-Ecutioners, Statik Selektah and more. He also lent his voice to the fictional Game FM radio station in the Grand Theft Auto video game series.

In the 2000s, Sear co-hosted the All Out Show with Rude Jude on Shade 45, the hip-hop radio channel founded by Eminem and SiriusXM in 2004. He later became host of The Lord Sear Special, which he continued until his death.