Like others on the scene, he started by selling mixtapes, audio assemblages of commercially unavailable work of rappers distributed by hole-in-the-wall vendors around the city.īy the middle aughts, street-merchandised DVDs (the best-known of these appeared under the label Smack DVD) were including “behind-the-scenes” action such as rappers duking it out with other rappers and swatches of near porn. “You’ve got a lot of people who stay indoors all the time, looking at their computers and what not,” O’Denat said. “They don’t know what is going on right outside their house, in their backyards. We’re showing the reality of the situation, giving them a dose.”īuilding WSHH into a Net juggernaut came in stages, O’Denat said.
“WorldStar, at this point, is as much a kind of street-fight battle cry as it is a recognizable brand name.” O’Denat said.
Over the years, bystander footage of violence became one of WSHH’s primary calling cards “You built a brand that changed the course of culture. “We can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for all of US!!! You were always pleasant & positive through all the madness,” T.I. posted his own tribute on Instagram, calling O’Denat a “real solid, stand-up dude.” Q’s Rancho Santa Fe neighbors probably didn’t know much about his efforts, but despite the name, and its origins and popularity as a hip-hop news and gossip site, WorldStarHipHop is arguably most famous worldwide as a vast repository of shaky footage of street fights, submitted by smartphone-wielding onlookers. The Hollis, Queens-bred founder of the influential music and urban culture website, the surprisingly soft-spoken and not surprisingly super-intelligent father of three school-age children had a known history of heart trouble, according to sources. WorldStar issued a statement confirming the news, said the site would continue O’Denat’s “various endeavors” and asked fans to “raise a toast to the sky in his name.” The cause of death later was announced as heart disease, with obesity considered a contributing factor, according to the coroner’s office. O’Denat, only 43, died this week of a heart attack at a Del Mar Heights massage parlor, according to the San Diego County medical examiner’s office. Paramedics arrived and attempted to revive him with CPR, but he was pronounced dead at about 5:30 p.m Monday, Jan. While legendary hip-hop and street fight website entrepreneurs might not be one’s first guess for ultra-sedate Rancho Santa Fe residency, WorldstarHipHop founder Lee O’Denat, known simply as “Q”, was a hip-hop video website CEO about town who stood apart from the Paseo Delicias crowd. But more than that, he was a devoted father and one of the nicest, most generous persons to ever grace this planet.” “Q was a brilliant businessman who championed urban culture, ultimately creating the largest hip-hop website in the world.
0 kommentar(er)
