Eminem pays tribute to 'Shade 45' DJ Lord Sear: 'One of the greatest'

Eminem is joining the hip hop world in mourning the loss of Shade 45 DJ Lord Sear.

On Wednesday, March 11, the rap icon took to his social media to pay a personal tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator after his untimely death at age 54.

Sharing a clip from one of their interviews together, Eminem wrote, “Sear was one of the greatest people to be around, I will never forget how he made me laugh on our tour together.”

“Our time on @shade45 together was always some of my favorite interviews. He made the world a better place and I’m gonna seriously miss that,” Em added about Sear, whose real name was Steve Watson.

“Rest in peace Lil Trey aka @LordSear!!!” the tribute concluded.

The tragic news was first confirmed by Eminem’s Sirius XM hip-hop channel, Shade 45, where Sear worked for over 20 years.

“It is with heavy heart that we share the passing of Lord Sear. He was more than a voice on the radio — he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us,” Shade 45 announced, noting that Sear “helped shape the culture at every level.”

Sear first made his mark alongside hip-hop group Kurious. He went on to join the iconic Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in the ‘90s. In the early 2000s, he joined Eminem’s Anger Management World Tour.

More tributes poured in from other artists, including Fat Joe, E-40, Hit-Boy, Mickey Factz, and more.