DJ Big Kap: Storied hip-hop DJ dead at 45

DJ Big Kap worked with Funkmaster Flex and the Notorious B.I.G.

DJ Big Kap, also known as Keith Carter, at an event at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club. He passed away Wednesday at the age of 40. (Getty Images)

Keith Carter, better known to hip-hop fans as DJ Big Kap, has passed away at age 45. The cause of death is unknown at this point.

Mr. Carter rose to fame working with other hip-hop legends in the 1990s, including the Notorious B.I.G. and Funkmaster Flex. According to his Instagram page, DJ Big Kap was set to perform on Wednesday, the day he died, at an event called "Whipped Wednesdays."

Mr. Carter's seminal work is the 1999 album "The Tunnel," a collaboration with Funkmaster Flex that featured several top artists of the day, including Dr. Dre, Eminem, Method Man, Jay-Z, DMX, Juvenile, LL Cool J, Raekwon and Snoop Dogg. MTV reported at the time that it climbed to 35th on the Billboard Top 200 chart and sold more than 90,000 copies in its first week.

After hearing of Mr. Carter's passing, fans took to Twitter to offer their condolences and memories:

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