NEW YORK ? The hip-hop community is mourning Bronx-based Kool DJ AJ who suddenly passed away.
Rapper Kurtis Blow took to social media Wednesday morning to announce AJ?s death.
Originally born on the Lower East Side, AJ relocated to Jacksonville, Florida for awhile before settling in the South Bronx.
A well-respected figure in the New York City hip-hop scene, AJ was behind the turntables in the 80?s for both Busy Bee and Kurtis Blow. He helped break Blow?s ?Christmas Rappin'? in 1979.
The Boombox reports he deejayed through the 90?s until retiring in 2010.
Several celebrities mourned AJ?s death on social media.
Hip-hop pioneer Kool DJ AJ reported dead by longtime friend Kurtis Blow | New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV