First-generation Korean hip-hop star Artisan Beats passes away at 47

Artisan Beats, real name Seo Jae-min, the first generation Korean hip-hop star, passed away at the age of 47 on February 17. News of his death was confirmed after rappers AJ and Minos, who had worked alongside him during Master Plan Allstarz, shared tributes on their social media accounts. The cause of his demise has not been disclosed yet.The official account of Bulhandang, the crew he belonged to, also shared the news, posting, "Artisan Beats, producer of Bulhandang Crew, has left us. We offer our deepest condolences and pray for the repose of his soul."Rapper Kim Ji-hong, who had worked with him, paid tribute on social media, writing, "Jae-min, thank you for hanging out with me for 30 years. Now rest in peace."Music critic Kang Il-kwon wrote on social media, "I have learned that Artisan Beats (Artisan Beats aka Saatan), one of the living witnesses of Korean hip-hop, half of Da Crew and a member of Bulhandang Crew, has passed away.” Expressing his sorrow Kang continued, "I haven't seen him in a long time, but I thought he was doing well, so this sudden sad news is a shock," adding, "I remember the days long ago when we shared drinks together, and I pray for Jae-min's soul. May he rest in peace."According to All Kpop, Artisan Beats was born in 1979, and was a member of the hip-hop group Da Crew. He was active in Master Plan Allstarz. In addition to performing, he also worked as a producer. During his early career, he focused largely on darker-toned tracks and promoted under the stage name “Satan.” He eventually dropped the name “Satan,” which evoked a demonic image, and adopted the name Artisan Beats.In 2014, he released the single ‘Jimmy Chu’ with Born Kim, and in May 2015 he put out a project EP titled ‘Chun.’