The rapper Dot Rotten has died aged 37, his family have confirmed.
No details about his death have emerged but reports suggest the grime star died in Gambia.
Born Joseph Ellis in Stockwell, London, he worked with the likes of Chip, D Double E, Cher Lloyd and Ed Sheeran. He scored a Top 20 hit in 2012 with the single Overload.
The rapper said the song’s lyrics were inspired by his experiences with ‘a major depression’.
Joseph started rapping and making his own music at the age of seven, and released his first mixtape, This Is the Beginning, in 2007, under the name Young Dot.
He later changed his stage name to Dot Rotten, which was an acronym for ‘Dirty on Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told to Educate Nubians’, as well as a nod to June Brown’s iconic EastEnders character, Dot Cotton.
After gaining exposure on Rinse FM and SB:TV he landed a recording contract with Mercury Records and gained further fame with appearances on other artist’s tracks including his first collaboration with Ed Sheeran on Goodbye to You in 2011.
He released his debut studio album Voices in My Head in 2013.
He also featured on Mz Bratt’s Speeding By and Cher Lloyd’s Dub on the Track.
He was also invited by Take That’s Gary Barlow to appear on the 2011 Children In Need single, a cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop, alongside Wretch 32, Labrinth, Ms Dynamite and Rizzle Kicks.
In recent years, the artist focused on work behind the scenes in the recording studio, producing tracks for artists like Kano and AJ Tracey under the name Zeph Ellis.
Tributes poured in following news of his death, with stars from the grime scene posting on social media.
‘Very sad news. Sleep well Dot,’ wrote Sway. ‘RIP one of the greatest to do it,’ added KWest.
DJ Michael Hall wrote: ‘We have lost a genuine friend, brother and one of the best to ever do it ! My thoughts are with you and your family D. Mr Joseph Ellis Stephenson AKA DOT ROTTEN THE ABSOLUTE GOAT ! THIS WORLD IS SUCH A CRUEL PLACE AT TIMES!’
DJ Logan Sama said: ‘His impact on the scene was not just as a brilliant artist but also the guidance and inspiration he gave to hundreds of other aspiring creators around him. Never, ever received the accolades or rewards for his craft that it deserved.’
Joseph’s former nemesis Wiley paid his respects, posting a video of one of Ellis’s instrumentals with a dove emoji.
