Reach Records' deejay dies age 39

THE DEEJAY Nelson Chu, better known as DJ Official, died on Sunday 14th August after undergoing double lung transplant surgery. The turntablist who served as the touring deejay for hip-hop star Lecrae and who released the album 'EnterMission' had required surgery after struggling with a rare form of cancer. DJ Official was born in the Bronx, New York, then lived in Brooklyn before moving to Amityville, Long Island before finally relocating to Philadelphia. He got his start in music in 1996 with DJ Riz and Cipha Sounds, gigging with them for two years. His work with the seminal Christian rappers Cross Movement led to him signing with Reach Records and touring the world with Lecrae. Said the hip-hop star, "Many don't realise DJ Official was one of my biggest advocates when I first started. He made sure my music was heard. He took my live show to new heights and was the relational glue for many of us. For years his sound crafted the movement of believers to hip-hop. He was a pioneer." Another rapper featured on DJ Official's 'EnterMission' album, Tedashii, said, "One of the best days of my life was getting to hang with the DJ Official." The turntablist leaves behind his wife Theresa and two daughters, Bella aged 11 and Sophie, six.