49-year-old DJ Erick Morillo has been found dead in his Miami home, with the cause of his death yet to be announced.
Police found Colombian-American producer and DJ Erick Morillo dead in his Miami Beach home on Monday (August 31st). While officers have announced that no signs of foul play were apparent at the scene, the DJ’s death is still under investigation by the Miami Dade Medical Examiner’s Office. Morillo’s passing comes just days before he was scheduled to appear in court for sexual battery charges.
Widely celebrated for his role in popularising house music, the DJ was best known for his work on Real2Real’s 1993 hit I Like to Move It, featured in Dreamworks’ 2005 film Madagascar, and his label Subliminal Records.
The Colombian-born producer has been remembered for his contributions to the worlds of house and post-disco music. Often choosing to trade traditional, disco flavours with reggaeton and dub stylings, his influence can be most notably seen through the smash-hit success of Real 2 Real’s I Like To Move It.
Last month, however, the producer was arrested for the sexual battery of a woman in December 2019. According to the arrest report, Morillo is alleged to have led the victim back to his home, assaulting her while she was unconscious and severely intoxicated.
We can hold both thoughts concurrently:
Erick Morillo left an undelible mark on house music; his death is tragic & premature.Also, Erick Morillo was out on bail after being arrested for sexually assaulting another DJ last year.
His legacy is complicated but loss is still loss.
— Zel McCarthy (@ZelMcCarthy) September 1, 2020
The accuser reported that she could remember “flashes“ of Morillo’s assault and notified authorities soon after leaving the property. While the producer had initially denied all accusations, a rape-kit returned positive results of his DNA. His court hearing was scheduled for this Friday.
I’m confused Erick Morello was going to court on RAPE charge and u lot are writing sympathetic tweets 🧐
— z (@zbart111) September 1, 2020
