The Drama King DJ Kay Slay Releases Posthumous Video Single “Rolling 200 Deep”
The legendary DJ Kay Slay, influential mixtape innovator and former host of Hot97’s The Drama Hour, has posthumously released “Rolling 200 Deep,” a celebratory new single and video featuring 200 emcees with careers spanning the entirety of hip-hop’s 50 year history. “Rolling 200 Deep,” is out now through Street Sweepers Entertainment Inc., distributed by TuneCore.
Following in the tradition of DJ Kay Slay’s previous grand posse cuts “Rolling 50 Deep” and “Rolling 110 Deep,” the new track features multiple generations of iconic hip-hop legends throughout its 62 minute runtime including Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, Raekwon, Run DMC, Bun B, Big Daddy Kane, Twista, Goodie Mob, Papoose & more, brought together by DJ Kay Slay on the last track he worked on prior to his passing on April 17th, 2022. Executive produced by manager Jarrod “General” Whitaker and Papoose, Head of Hip-Hop for TuneCore, DJ Kay Slay’s protege, and current host of The Drama Hour, “Rolling 200 Deep” is produced by Suits TM of Trackateering Music, with the music video directed and edited by Will C. and Richie4K of StreetHeatTV.
A culture is only as strong as its protectors, and with the passing of DJ Kay Slay, hip-hop culture lost a giant. DJ Kay Slay was a universally respected DJ whose reach in the hip-hop world spanned across generations and regions.
His contributions include dozens of Street Sweepers Mixtapes, as well as his legendary radio shows The Drama Hour and StreetSweeper Radio. His connections across New York City and beyond allowed him to curate multiple posse cuts with over 100 MCs, and debut tracks from a who’s who of 2000s New York rap, including Nas (“Ether,” “Made You Look” remix), Jadakiss (“Checkmate”), 50 Cent (“50 Shot Ya”), and Papoose (“Alphabet Slaughter”).
DJ Kay Slay had a hand in the rise of iconic MCs like 50 Cent, Dipset, Kendrick Lamar, and so many more, by putting them on his mixtapes, giving them radio play, or allowing them to open shows. Before venturing into the music world, he was a respected graffiti artist known as Dezzy Dez, who was highlighted on 1983’s Style Wars, one of the first hip-hop documentaries ever. He was already a hip-hop legend before rap. A Hip Hop purist and ultimate hustler, DJ Kay Slay overcame a drug addiction in 1990 and found knowledge of self as a member of the 5% Nation of Gods & Earths. From that point DJ Kay Slay dedicated his life to Hip Hop and became the premiere Mixtape DJ of the 2000’s winning consecutive Justo’s mixtape awards before securing his first record deal with Columbia Records and Violator Management and securing radio slots at Hot 97 (The Drama Hour) and Sirius Radio Shade 45 (Street Sweeper Radio), while also founding Straight Stuntin’ Magazine and Protect Your King/Queen clothing line.