Rico Wade, pioneering Organized Noize and Dungeon Family producer, who crafted hits for Goodie Mob, Outkast, and TLC has passed at 52 years of age. Atlanta MC Killer Mike made the announcement this morning (4/13) on IG. "I don't have the words to express my deep and profound sense of loss. I am Praying for your wife and Children. I am praying for the Wade family. I am praying for us all," he posted.

He wrote further, "I deeply appreciate your acceptance into The Dungeon Family, mentorship, Friendship and Brotherhood. Idk where I would be without ya'll."

Wade was one third of Organized Noize, the production collective which included Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown, and was responsible for TLC's gargantuan hit "Waterfalls", Ludacris' "Saturday", "So Fresh, So Clean" by Outkast, and many others.

Big Boi of Outkast called Wade, "The mouthpiece of the Dungeon Family collective of producers." According to Big Boi it was Wade, who was classmates with Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins of TLC who was responsible for introducing Outkast to Laface Records co-founder L.A Reid and securing the signing of the group.

Wade told AllHipHop recently that he had been experiencing some health issues, but he seemed to be on the mend. "My heart had ruptured a valve and it was dripping, and they just rerouted it,” he explained. “I have heart conditions on my father’s side. I didn’t really know it. On my mom’s side, she’s got alcoholism.

A lot of the Outkast success was great, but after that, I got into a little bit of a depression or whatever, so I was drinking a little bit more than I was supposed to. I was doing it over 10, 15 years. And eventually, I couldn’t blame anything else for the negative in my life so I cut it out. I feel like I’m so much more clear and confident, and that’s the person that I want to be for the past 20 years.” No cause of death has been announced.

Rest In peace Rico Wade.