Lee O’Denat, the Queens-bred founder of the influential music and urban culture website, WorldstarHipHop.com, has died in Southern California. He was 43.
Known simply as “Q” by his friends and followers, the media mogul and father of three passed away unexpectedly from a suspected heart attack.
Q founded the premiere hip-hop website in 2005 when he started posting mixtapes, which gradually progressed into a mash-up of hip-hop videos, fight clips and other outrageous camera footage.
“We know he had a health issue with his heart,” a source said. “It’s a shame. He was a very young man.”
Originally from Hollis, Queens, he was living in the Rancho Santa Fe section of San Diego County with his school-age kids.
The creator and face of the Worldstar brand was a larger-than-life digital pioneer, famous for his big smile, unabashed sense of humor and uncanny ability to find and promote viral videos.
“Q was a brilliant businessman who championed urban culture, ultimately creating the largest hip hop website in the world,” his company said in a Tuesday statement confirming his death.
“But more than that, he was a devoted father and one of the nicest, most generous persons to ever grace this planet. We will miss his hearty laugh and warm spirit,” the statement posted on Instagram said.
The company vowed to continue O’Denat’s “various endeavors” and asked fans to “raise a toast to the sky in his name.”
