Overview

• Howard Thompson, known as Hitman Howie Tee, died at 65 and the cause of death has not been released.
• He began in the early 1980s as a member of electro-rap group CDIII on Prelude Records and later formed Whistle with Kangol Kid, whose single “(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’” became a global b-boy anthem.
• In his role as Select Records’ in-house producer, he crafted Special Ed’s breakout single “I Got It Made” and Chubb Rock’s dance hit “Treat ’Em Right.”
• He co-produced Color Me Badd’s 1991 Billboard Hot 100–topping single “I Wanna Sex You Up,” which helped bridge hip-hop and mainstream R&B.
• Peers including Questlove hailed him as an unsung architect of hip-hop’s formative years, while he guided emerging talents such as Spencer Bellamy of East Flatbush Project.