Real name: Mark Howard James

Effective period / Period of releases: 1987 - 2016

DJ Mark the 45 King (born Mark James, October 16, 1961 - October 19, 2023), also known as the 45 King, started DJing in New Jersey in the mid-1980s. The nickname the 45 King came from his ability to make beats using obscure 45 RPM records.
The 45 King first gained fame with his breakbeat track "The 900 Number" in 1988. This track among others was sampled hundreds of times.
In 1998, the 45 King produced "Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". The song was a hit that featured a looped chorus from the original cast album of the Broadway musical Annie. In 2000, he produced the platinum-certified track "Eminem - Stan".
Founder of 45 King Muzik publishing house.
He died on October 19, 2023 at the age of 62.