Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 – September 1, 2020) was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner.

Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, the Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, and Li'l Mo Ying Yang, Morillo was best known for his international work in house music, in particular for the label Strictly Rhythm, and the 1993 hit "I Like to Move It", which he produced under the pseudonym Reel 2 Real, and which was featured in commercials, movies, and ringtones.

His label Subliminal Records produced the number-one Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play hit "Fun" by Da Mob, and won the Muzik magazine "Remixer of the Year" award in 1999.

Erick Morrilo was attributed as "One of the best live DJ's I ever booked in my 20 years career, as an entertainments and promotions manager, and in many of London's top venues!"

He died from a drug overdose at his home in Miami Beach, three days before he was due to appear in court to face rape charges.

He spent most of his pre-teen years in Cartagena, Colombia, where he lived with his family, and grew accustomed to salsa and merengue music.

He moved back to the United States at age 11,[5][6][7] living with his mother, Elisa,[8] and sister,[9] Sheila,[10] in an apartment at 1406 Bergenline Avenue in Union City, New Jersey.

[8][11] Morillo took a studio engineering course at the New York City's Center for the Media Arts,[5][7][12] and began DJing at local clubs,[6] in places like the Love Sexy music lounge on Hudson Street in Hoboken.

[13] While working at a club in nearby Weehawken, Morillo met Latin reggae star El General, whom he befriended.

Morillo's next big song came in 1993, when New York's premier house label at the time, Strictly Rhythm, released his "The New Anthem"/"Funky Buddha" 12.

[5] In response to the song's success, Morillo recorded the full-length album Move It!, which was released in 1994, and spawned several singles that did particularly well in England.

[6] Despite being believed to have made over $2 million from Reel 2 Real, Morillo feared that his financial success may have hurt both his creative drive and his street credibility.

Wanting to create respectable house music,[5] he produced "Jazz It Up", launching it under the label of the Erick Morillo Project, in order to ensure street credibility.

Searching for a way to reinvent himself, Morillo attended The Forum, a self-help seminar in New York City, where he gained insight into finding happiness through things other than wealth and his frantic work schedule.

The seminar also enabled him to escape his creative rut by helping him analyze his past and set future goals, one of which was to become a successful global DJ.

Its first single was 1998's "Fun", which featured Chicago diva Dajae, and drew positive response via test pressings and buzz across the Atlantic.

The victims included dancers, record company workers, journalists, camera crew and DJs and frequently involved involuntary administration of drugs.

At least one victim left the music industry after working with Morillo and another was admitted to hospital after "a catalogue of both emotional and physical abuse".

[4] According to a preliminary report released on October 13, 2020, by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner, Morillo died accidentally of "acute ketamine toxicity", with MDMA and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.