Bob Power, the legendary multi-platinum hip-hop engineer and producer, has died at the age of 74. No cause of death has been revealed. The news was confirmed by Okayplayer on Instagram, who posted an image of the icon alongside a touching tribute. "We are saddened to announce the passing of Bob Power, the legendary engineer, producer, and musician whose work helped define the sound of hip-hop and R&B for generations. From his groundbreaking engineering on A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory and De La Soul’s classic albums, to collaborations with The Roots, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and countless others, Bob’s touch shaped some of the most iconic music of our time.

"Beyond his studio mastery, Bob was a mentor and teacher, sharing his knowledge and passion with aspiring artists and engineers at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, inspiring countless musicians to pursue their craft with integrity and creativity. Bob Power was a bridge between musical worlds, blending technical mastery with soul, rhythm, and innovation. His influence will echo in every beat, every mix, and every artist he inspired. Rest in power, Bob your music, your vision, and your legacy will live on forever," they penned.

The Chicago born record producer, studied music theory in college before heading to California in 1975 where he scored the PBS Emmy Award–winning television series Over Easy and also wrote advertising music for companies including Coca-Cola, Elizabeth Arden, Intel, Mercedes-Benz, Purina, and The US Postal Service.

In 1982 he moved to New York to further his career and was gigging in numerous venues before he was asked by the owner of Calliope Studios to sit in as engineer of a music recording session for hip hop group Stetsasonic. It was the beginning of his association with the genre that would dominate his CV from then on.

He worked on iconic LPs such as A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar, Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, De La Soul’s De La Soul Is Dead, and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate.

Speaking about the groundbreaking The Low End Theory, he once said, “The Low End Theory was an interesting record; in a way, it was the Sgt Pepper’s of hip-hop. It’s a record that changed the way that people thought about putting music together."

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Collaborators and fans took to social media to pay tribute upon learning the sad news. Questlove wrote a lengthy tribute on Facebook in which he said: "You could NOT encounter a more engaging, enthusiastic, laser focused craftsman of sound and Sonic’s (engineer/mixing/production) I mean he’d let me bug him ad nausea about 'what does this button do? that button?' Bob was our training wheels for how to present music. I’m so devastated by his passing. Thank you for changing all of our lives Bob."

On Instagram, DJ Premier shared: "I met BOB POWER at Electric Lady Studio when D’angelo dropped his first LP. He gave me so much insight to engineering. I’ll never forget he said: We All Have Ears, It’s How You Hear Things And Apply It To Make The Music Thump Bigger Than It Already Is. Purists like myself and hundreds of others hold Bob to a high bar that will remain high for the sake of music to continue to fuel our souls. It’s much deeper but I’mma end it here. If you know Bob you know Bob."

A fan chimed in on Facebook: "R.I.P. to the legendary engineer/producer Bob Power. He cared about the music and made some of our favorite records sound great. I first heard him mentioned by tribe and from that point on I knew to expect the best. Thank you sir."

Meanwhile another added: "Y’all we lost an absolute legend. You may not know the name Bob Power but you definitely know the sound of Bob Power. Bob was literally the sound of 90’s hip hop. His mixes were known for their cohesiveness, taking disparate samples and drums and making them feel like they came from the same universe. When I got started in New York at Battery Studios in 1998 Bob was often posted up in Studio K2 with racks and racks of outboard gear, head down, listening to a kick drum for hours trying to get it just right. He is an absolute legend and the works s**** a bit more without him in it. Rest easy Bob Power."