Roc Raida

He joined the X-Men in the late 1980s, but due to copyright reasons, the group later became known as the X-Ecutioners.

In addition to his work with MF Grimm and the X-Ecutioners, Roc Raida released albums as a solo artist, his most famous being 2005's Rock Phenomenon, a mash-up album he released with DJ Vlad that blended rock and hip hop, which won the Mash-Up Mixtape of the Year at the Justo Mixtape Awards.

He also produced songs for artists including Ill Al Skratch, Showbiz and A.G., the Jungle Brothers, Mad Skillz, Smif-N-Wessun, Jehst, and Big Pun, Linkin Park and he served as Busta Rhymes' DJ.

He had made an appearance in Linkin Park’s album ‘Reanimation’ (2002) in participating in the song ‘X-Ecutioner style’.

He died on September 19, 2009, from cardiac arrest due to complications a few weeks earlier relating to an accident while training in Krav Maga.

The X-Ecutioners in the Bronx/NYC near Roc Raidas home