Anthony Platt, known by the stage name DJ Unk, was an Atlanta-based rap artist who had snap hits with “Walk It Out” and “2 Step” in 2006.
- Died: January 24, 2025 (Who else died on January 24?)
- Details of death: Died of cardiac arrest at the age of 42.
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DJ Unk’s legacy
If you hit the dance floor around the year 2006, chances were pretty good that at some point, you were drenched in sweat after a spin of “Walk It Out” or “2 Step,” two big hits by Atlanta rapper DJ Unk.
Born Anthony Platt, Unk was a hype man, DJ, and rap artist who helped carve out the sound of snap music, an innovation on crunk that took its fast-paced, heavy club thump and made it lighter, brighter, and more crowd-pleasing. Unk was at the forefront of that movement, cutting his teeth at parties in Georgia, and forming the Southern Style DJs with DJ Jelly and DJ Montay in the late 1990s, when they were teens.
After getting signed to Big Oomp Records in 2000 at just 19 years old, Unk made his solo debut in 2006 with “Beat’n Down Yo Block!” The LP’s first single, “Walk It Out,” rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts, and No. 19 on the Pop 100. His follow-up track, “2 Step,” was almost just as big, securing Unk’s place as an anthem-maker of the time, and both records had masterful remixes, featuring hitmakers like Outkast, Jim Jones, T-Pain and E-40. Unk’s 2008 sophomore release, “2econd Season,” was also a top-10 record on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
However, a 2009 heart attack he said was brought on by a too-busy, too-unhealthy lifestyle cut his career short. Unk stopped touring, and his music output slowed to a handful of singles between 2012 and 2015. His profile briefly grew again when he performed “Walk It Out” at the 2023 BET Awards ceremony.
Tributes to DJ Unk
Full obituary: Atlanta Journal Constitution
