Hitman Howie Tee, the Brooklyn-raised producer behind “I Got It Made” and “Treat ’Em Right,” has died, leaving behind a legacy of beats that defined Hip-Hop’s golden era.
Brooklyn’s own Hitman Howie Tee helped define the sound of late ’80s and early ’90s Hip-Hop, has died. The cause of death has not been revealed at the time of this writing.
Born Howard Thompson in London, he was raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Howie Tee was 61.
Questlove of The Roots sang Howie Tee’s praises.
“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.”
Hitman Howie Tee made his mark as one of Hip-Hop’s most versatile, influential and low-key sonic architects. He was a master of beats and a king of turntablism.
Furthermore, Howie Tee crafted hits that helped launch the careers of artists like Special Ed, Chubb Rock, The Real Roxanne, and U.T.F.O. He shaped a generation of Hip-Hop fans, artists and producers.
In the early 1980s, Howie Tee emerged as a member of electro-rap group CDIII, which dropped a pair of singles on Prelude Records. He soon shifted gears to another bubbling rap act out of BK.
A production partnership with U.T.F.O.’s Kangol Kid pushed him into true prominence. Together, they introduced the world to Whistle, a trio whose 1985 single “(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’” became a global b-boy anthem.
Soon thereafter, Howie Tee became the in-house producer at Select Records. It was there that he created his most recognizable songs – Special Ed’s breakout single “I Got It Made” and Chubb Rock’s dance hit “Treat ‘Em Right.”
Both tracks climbed the charts and proved Howie Tee could balance the streets with commercial appeal.
By 1991, Howie Tee struck platinum pop success. He co-produced the Billboard Hot 100-topping “I Wanna Sex You Up” by Color Me Badd.
The record’s style helped set the tone for early ’90s R&B / Hip-Hop fusion. He would later produce or remix tracks for artists like Madonna, Heavy D, M### Priest and Little Shawn, among others.
Howie Tee also served as a mentor, helping shape the next wave of Hip-Hop creators. Most notably, he guided a young Spencer Bellamy, who later found cult fame under the moniker East Flatbush Project with the underground smash “Tried by 12.”
Though often overlooked by mainstream media, Howie Tee’s fingerprints are all over the golden age of Hip-Hop. His sample-driven, funk-rooted beats were the backdrop to some of the culture’s most formative records.
At the time of publication, details surrounding his death have not been publicly disclosed.
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