Carl E. “Chucky” Thompson, a hip-hop and R&B record producer best known as a member of the Bad Boy “Hitmen” and major contributor to ’90s culture, has died. The cause of Thompson’s death has not yet been confirmed by his family, though legendary radio DJ Donnie Simpson tweeted it was due to complications from COVID-19.
Per the Council of the District of Columbia, Thompson was born on July 12, 1968, making him 53 years old at the time of his death. However, it appears there is also an unverified Facebook page for Chucky Thompson that lists his date of birth as April 3, 1970.
On Monday afternoon, record producer, DJ and audio engineer Young Guru confirmed the tragic news via his Instagram page.
“There is nothing I can write that will take away this pain,” Guru captioned, including a picture of the two. “I have to say RIP to my mentor, my big brother, the man who changed my life forever. You were the kindest person the world has ever seen. You were the most gifted musician I have ever been around. You treated me like family from day one.”
“You made a point to the labels that I had to fly to New York with you on every session. You put me in rooms with Biggie,” he continued. “I will forever be in your debt and I will forever be your little brother. This one hurts so bad I can’t even explain it.”
Thompson’s publicist Tamar Juda also released the following statement to Okayplayer: “It is with a very heavy heart that I can confirm the passing of Chucky Thompson…To anyone in his orbit, you know how generous he was with his energy, creativity and love. Both the music industry, and the world has lost a titan.”
According to the aforementioned Council of District Columbia page:
In 1994, Chucky Thompson, as a member of Bad Boy Records’ “The Hitmen”, produced platinum singles “One More Chance” and “Big Poppa” for the late Notorious B.I.G. as well as the GRAMMY-nominated album My Life for Mary J. Blige.
Thompson’s production skills also contributed to major hits for artists such as Faith Evans, Usher, Mariah Carey, Brian McKnight, Total, Nas, Craig Mack and more. Honestly, please check his Wikipedia page if you want to pay homage to his long list of production credits—chances are you’ll find several hits that you’re familiar with, if you’re not already up on game.
Fans and peers took to social media to express their sorrow and pay homage to the hip-hop and R&B icon.
“Damn! RIP to the legend, the genius, the innovator @chucklife365. So much music came from this amazing guy, but it was his kindness that stood out. You’ll never find one person in the game with a bad word to say about the man. Truly a beautiful soul,” singer-songwriter-producer Johnta Austin tweeted.
“Every time I [saw] Chucky Thompson it was ALWAYS LOVE! RIP TO A DMV LEGEND 💔 One of the baddest producers in the world!” actor Tray Chaney (The Wire, Saints & Sinners) tweeted, including a picture of the two.
Rest in Power, Chucky Thompson.