Hip Hop producer Hitman Howie Tee has died. He was 61 years old. Born Howard Thompson in London, he was raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Howie was responsible for creating beats for artists like Special Ed, Chubb Rock, U.T.F.O., and The Real Roxanne.

Howie also co-produced Color Me Badd’s huge hit “I Wanna Sex You Up.”

Questlove gave Howie his flowers. He wrote on Instagram, “I feel like Howie was such an unsung MONSTER of a producer during hip hip’s early development——I know De La was a life changing moment for us but Howie was a cat who definitely crossed the aisle when it came to unusual music: I mean for Special Ed he put The Beatles & Ripple in the same box I was mind blown. Not to mention all those little cartoon & showtunes interstitials on “Bang Zoom” & “Buggin”…Mixing in tv themes & Mel Blanc & showtunes showing Pop ear candy over the hardest beats. Truly an unsung hero.”