DJ Unk's cause of death confirmed by wife after 'Walk It Out' rapper dies at 43
Rapper DJ Unk, who was best known for the bouncy early-2000s crunk hit "Walk It Out," has died.
The musician's wife Sherkita Long-Platt announced his death Friday morning on Facebook. "I just lost my husband and my kids lost their father," she wrote. "Our life will never be the same." DJ Unk, born Anthony Leonard Platt, was 43.
"I LOVE YOU ANTHONY FOREVER," Long-Platt wrote.
Long-Platt confirmed to TMZ on Sunday that Platt died in his sleep after suffering a heart attack. She also shut down speculation that drugs played a role in the "2 Step" and "Show Out" artist's death.
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Atlanta label Big Oomp Records, which signed Platt in 2000, said in an Instagram tribute Saturday that the rapper "was not just a legendary DJ, rapper and producer, but a true cornerstone of our label" whose legacy "will be cherished forever."
An Atlanta native, Platt began his music career in the late 1990s, spinning for the Southern Style DJs with DJ Montay and DJ Jelly. The trio brought its music to various community events across Georgia. Platt eventually signed to Big Oomp and released his debut single, "Walk It Out," in 2006. That same year he released "Beat'n Down Yo Block," his debut album.
Platt was also known for the 2006 single "2 Step" and released three albums over his career, but "Walk It Out" remained his claim to fame. It climbed several Billboard charts and inspired a remix featuring OutKast and Jim Jones. The single also found new life beyond the music scene. In a 2023 interview with Billboard, Platt said listeners used his 2006 smash in "workout dances, they use it in church, they use it for anything."
Read more: Rich Homie Quan, Atlanta rapper who touted Young Thug and YG among collaborators, dies at 33
The rapper was "my EVERYTHING," Long-Platt said on Instagram. On Sunday, she shared a video collage, set to Monica's "Love All Over Me," that featured photos of Platt performing and spending time with his family.
Dozens of residents gathered at a park in downtown Atlanta on Sunday for a candelight vigil in Platt's honor. According to videos shared on Facebook, attendees released white and blue balloons into the sky as they voiced their love for the late rapper. Some attendees sang along to DJ Unk's "Walk It Out" and "2 Step" as others exchanged hugs.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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