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WorldStarHipHop founder dies
Lee ‘Q’ O’Denat was 43
Lee “Q” O’Denat will never get the credit he deserves. The creator of WorldStarHipHop died in San Diego while visiting a massage parlor, according to the Los Angeles Times. Fittingly, TMZ first reported his death. He was 43 years old. He’s no longer with us, but the impact of the website he created, while measurable in clicks and page views, cannot be overvalued from a culture standpoint.
Among a certain cadre of people who consider themselves tastemakers, WSHH was an ugly duckling that grew into not a beautiful swan, but a hulklike mutant that permanently realigned the balance of power in hip-hop and, to an extent, black culture altogether. For every absurd fight video, there might have been a reasonable mixtape to listen to. For all the random montages of women with few clothes on, there was some kid dancing his face off in a living room that made you wonder when they’d be famous.
"American Home Funniest Video" is the white mans "Worldstar Hiphop" for the '90s
— lee (@yungpistachio) January 15, 2017
Wow, RIP World Star Q. As as complicated of a legacy as it gets, but easily one of the most influential hip-hop figures of the millennium.
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) January 24, 2017
By balancing the boom of the internet as an independent distribution platform and a proverbial renaissance of ratchet, WSHH embodied everything about a world that wasn’t ready to accept it as a major player in the game. You didn’t have to like it, but the site had legit exclusive content. It’s particularly sad because WSHH had just inked a deal with MTV2 to create a television series.
There’s speculation that heart failure, brought on by obesity issues, was the cause of death for O’Denat. If so, it’s another reminder of how maintaining healthy habits is something that so many black men have difficulty doing in many parts of America. You can scream “Worldstar!” next time you go to the doctor. It just might save your life.
https://twitter.com/RashadDrakeford/status/823985277928620034
Q revolutionized hip hop and urban media with world star hip hop. R.I.P
— $trokes Blackaveli (@Richbla37722012) January 24, 2017
The site has no plans to shutter, and his loss created shockwaves around the hip-hop world.