On this date 38 years ago, the Hip Hop community lost one of its early pioneers when Scott Sterling, better known as DJ Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions, was shot and killed in the South Bronx.
Sterling was just 25 years old when he tried to break up a fight near the Highbridge Housing Projects on 167th Street and University Avenue. Tragically, the attempt to keep the peace cost him his life, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His murder sent shockwaves throughout Hip Hop. As one-half of Boogie Down Productions alongside KRS-One, Scott La Rock was helping usher in what would become the Golden Era. At the time of his death, BDP’s groundbreaking debut album Criminal Minded was in heavy circulation. Its imagery of guns and grit mirrored the harsh realities of the streets, but few expected real-life tragedy to strike so close to the group.
In the aftermath, KRS-One turned pain into purpose. Motivated by his friend’s death, he founded the Stop the Violence Movement, which spread awareness of gun violence through the By All Means Necessary album and the all-star single “Self Destruction.” These efforts left a lasting mark on Hip Hop, reminding the culture of its power to influence and inspire change.
DJ Scott La Rock’s life was cut short, but his impact remains. His contributions to Hip Hop live on through the music, the message, and the movement that followed. Rest in peace to Scott La Rock — gone too soon, but never forgotten.