Hitman Howie Tee, Pioneering Hip-Hop Producer, Dies at 61

Hitman Howie Tee, born Howard Thompson, is dead at 61. The influential producer helped launch the careers of Special Ed and Chubb Rock and co-produced hits for Color Me Badd.

Hip-hop has lost a giant.

Hitman Howie Tee — the Brooklyn-based producer, DJ and sonic architect behind pivotal records from Special Ed, Chubb Rock, The Real Roxanne and Color Me Badd — has died at 61. His death was confirmed in early August by close collaborators and friends including DJ Premier and Questlove, though the exact cause and date have not been publicly disclosed.

Born Howard Thompson in London to Jamaican parents and raised in Brooklyn’s East Flatbush neighborhood, Howie Tee carved out a legendary career by fusing breakbeats, funk, jazz, and even cartoon samples into an unmistakable sound that helped define East Coast hip-hop in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

 

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He first made his mark as a member of CDIII and later as the in-house producer for Select Records, where he shaped the signature styles of future legends. With Special Ed, he delivered “I Got It Made,” a coming-of-age anthem that turned a teenage MC into a star. With Chubb Rock, he produced classics like “Treat ’Em Right,” “Ya Bad Chubbs” and “Just the Two of Us,” blending boom-bap energy with wit and rhythm.

His sound wasn’t limited to rap. In the early ’90s, Howie Tee co-produced Color Me Badd’s No. 1 hits “I Wanna Sex You Up” and “All 4 Love,” the latter famously topping Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” on the Billboard Hot 100. His ear for crossover appeal made him one of the most versatile producers of the era, with remixes for Madonna, Heavy D, Maxi Priest and Raven-Symoné further proving his reach.

 

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Questlove remembered him as “another legend from my childhood,” calling him a “superhero superproducer” who helped hip-hop evolve by blending TV themes and pop melodies with hard drums. DJ Premier recalled long conversations with Howie Tee about music and life, crediting him for inspiring his own early production aspirations.

From Whistle’s playful “(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’” to Special Ed’s “I’m the Magnificent” and deep cuts like Little Shawn’s “Hickeys on Your Chest,” Howie Tee’s catalog remains a masterclass in groove, grit and experimentation. He was a sonic bridge between the park jam spirit of old-school hip-hop and the polished swagger of the New Jack Swing era.

Though never one to chase the spotlight, his influence stretched far beyond the studio. He helped shape the sound of an entire generation — and gave some of hip-hop’s most beloved voices their earliest hits.