DJ Unk, the Atlanta rapper behind the hits “Walk It Out” and “2 Step,” died at the age of 43.
Unk, born Anthony Platt, was one of the key figures in snap music, a subgenre of crunk that came to prominence in the mid-2000s. As a solo artist, he scored the hits “Walk It Out” and “2 Step” in 2006, the former of which peaked at No. 2 and the latter which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.
Several family members and longtime associates on social media confirmed news of Unk’s death. “Please respect me and my family,” wrote his wife Sherkita Long-Platt on Facebook. “I just lost my husband and my kids just lost their father. Our life will never be the same. I LOVE YOU ANTHONY FOREVER.”
A representative from his former label Big Oomp Records also confirmed the news on social media. “It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that we announce the passing of a true ATL legend, Anthony Platt better known as ‘DJ Unk,’” reads a statement reshared to Oomp’s Instagram Stories. “DJ Unk was not just a legendary DJ, rapper and producer, but a true cornerstone of our label and the imprint that he left globally will be cherished forever.” A cause of death has not been revealed.
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In 1998, Unk began spinning records at the age of 17, linking up with DJ Jelly and DJ Montay as the Southern Style DJs. In 2000, Unk signed to Big Oomp Records and released his debut album “Beat’n Down Yo Block!” in 2006 through Koch Records, touting guest appearances from Jazze Pha, DJ Montay and Baby D. “Walk It Out” was its runaway smash, spawning a remix featuring André 3000 and Jim Jones. He released his sophomore album “2econd Season” in 2008 and it performed slightly better than its predecessor but failed to produce singles that achieved the same success.
In Aug. 2009, Unk suffered a heart attack, which he blamed on a combination of nonstop touring, poor eating habits, and drinking and smoking. “It comes from not exercising, from not eating right,” he told XXL Magazine in 2010. “Basically man, I work hard everyday. Everything I do every day I try to make something happen in my household. I constantly be on the go, I constantly be on airplanes, in different weather and you know it just took a toll on me. It was stress.”
Unk’s music output trickled in the years that followed, with a few one-off singles and a full-length titled “Fresh Off Dem Papers” that dropped in 2017. He appeared on stage at the BET Awards in 2023 to perform “Walk It Out” as part of a medley that also featured Soulja Boy and F.L.Y.