Prolific D.C. hip-hop producer Chucky Thompson has died at age 53. “It is with a very heavy heart that I can confirm the passing of Chucky Thompson,” his representative Tamar Juda said in an official statement on Monday. “To anyone in his orbit, you know how generous he was with his energy, creativity and love. Both the music industry and the world has lost a titan,” the statement said. Born in D.C., Thompson famously became one of the “Hitmen” producers working for Bad Boy Entertainment in New York City. Billboard reports a friend of Thompson’s in Baltimore introduced him to a cousin who worked for Puff Daddy, who left Uptown Records to start his own record label. There, Thompson produced some of the biggest hip-hop records of all time, including “Big Poppa” for Notorious B.I.G., “You Used to Love Me” for Faith Evans and “One Mic” for Nas. Back in his native D.C. area, Thompson produced the Grammy-nominated song “Woman” (2008) for R&B star Raheem DeVaughn, of Beltsville, Maryland. “That record was created here in Maryland by producer Chucky Thompson,” DeVaughn told WTOP. “I was challenged by A&R at the time thinking that my album was done. We went through some records, and we had a heated discussion. I remember leaving New York and being charged up, so I called in Chucky and that’s what came from it.” Thompson also produced records for the likes of Usher, Ice Cube, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Brian McKnight, Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes and Ne-Yo. Legendary radio DJ Donnie Simpson tweeted that Thompson’s death was due to complications from COVID-19, but WTOP cannot yet confirm the cause of death. DJ Heat, of the Washington Wizards and Mystics, tweeted, “A music legend for the DMV and the world. Not only laced so many classic hits, but also continued to show so much love for the DC area. RIP Chucky Thompson.”
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