RICO WADE,
1972-2024

Rico Wade, founding member of The Dungeon Family and one-third of Atlanta production team Organized Noize, died on Friday (4/12). He was 52. The news was confirmed by fellow Dungeon Family member Killer Mike, who expressed his grief in an Instagram post.

"I don't have the words to express my deep and profound sense of loss," he wrote in part. "I am praying for your wife and children. I am praying for the Wade family. I am praying for us all. I deeply appreciate your acceptance into The Dungeon Family, mentorship, friendship and brotherhood. Idk where I would be without y’all."

Formed in 1991, The Dungeon Family initially consisted of Outkast (André 3000 and Big Boi), Goodie Mob (CeeLo Green, Khujo, Big Gipp and T-Mo), Big Rube and Organized Noize (Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown), among other ATL locals. Together, they helped expand the Atlanta hip-hop sound and afforded Southern rap the kind of credibility already established by rappers in Los Angeles and New York. Albums such as Outkast’s 1994 debut, Southernplayalisticadillacfunkymuzik, and Goodie Mob’s Soul Food illustrated Organized Noize’s penchant for funk and soul samples mixed with hard-hitting, boom-bap beats.

Organized Noize found enormous success outside of The Dungeon Family as well; in 1995 the talented trifecta scored a massive hit with TLC’s “Waterfalls,” which spent seven weeks at #1. It also earned nominations for the 1996 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

More success followed with En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go (Love)” and Ludacris’ “Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)”—but Wade never strayed far from his roots; after working on the bulk of Outkast’s subsequent albums, ATLiens and Aquemini, Organized Noize scored another hit with 3 Stacks and Big Boi, the platinum single “So Fresh, So Clean,” from Outkast’s fourth album, 2000’s Stankonia (LaFace Records).

Other contributions included the soundtrack to the 1996 film Set It Off, Big Boi’s 2010 Island/Def Jam solo debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, and Nappy Roots’ 2011 album, Nappy Dot Org. A documentary about The Dungeon Family, The Art of Organized Noize, was released in 2016.

Following his meteoric rise, Wade suffered from mental-health and substance-abuse issues. During a March interview with HITS that would prove to be his last, he revealed that he’d recently suffered a leaky heart valve, which had sent him to the hospital. However, no cause of death has been formally disclosed.

The surviving members of Organized Noize released a statement in the wake of Wade’s death that read: “We are devastated by the news of the passing of our dear brother Rico Wade. The world has lost one of the most innovative architects in music, and we have lost an invaluable friend. Rico was the cornerstone of Organized Noize and The Dungeon Family, and we will forever treasure his memory and the moments we shared, creating music as a united team. Our hearts weigh heavy with sorrow, and we kindly request privacy and empathy during this challenging period. Rico’s presence will always have a special spot in our hearts and in the music we presented to the world.”