Lord Sear death: Eminem DJ dies at 53

Lord Sear, Eminem DJ and radio fixture, dies at 53

By Jonathan Miller • March 12, 2026

Veteran DJ Lord Sear, a longtime voice on Shade 45 and Eminem collaborator, has died at 53. Eminem paid tribute on social media; cause not released.

Lord Sear, a veteran DJ and longtime collaborator with Eminem, has died at 53. Eminem honored Sear’s death in a Wednesday post on social media, calling him “more than a voice on the radio – he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us.”

Career and contributions

Born and raised in New York City, Sear became a recognizable voice in hip hop across a decades-long career on radio and in music. He first gained notice as a DJ while on tour with rapper Kurious, and in the 1990s he became a central voice on WKRC’s “Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show,” a program credited in the article with introducing artists such as Jay-Z, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan to wider audiences.

Sear worked for the station since its inception in 2004 and joined Eminem on the Anger Management Tour in the early 2000s. He contributed to recordings and appeared on albums by the Beastie Boys, Big Pun, MF DOOM, The X-Ecutioners and Statik Selektah, and lent his voice to the video games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto IV.

In the 2000s, Sear joined SiriusXM, co-hosting “The All Out Show with Rude Jude” on Eminem’s Shade 45 channel. He later hosted his own program, “The Lord Sear Special,” on SiriusXM, where he remained until his passing.

Tributes and reaction

Eminem posted a tribute on social media, writing in part: “SEAR WAS MORE THAN A VOICE ON THE RADIO –HE WAS A FORCE, A FRIEND, AND FAMILY TO SO MANY OF US!” The rapper also recalled that Sear made him laugh while on tour and remembered him as “one of the greatest people to be around.”