Rico Wade, OutKast and TLC Collaborator, Dead at 52

Rico Wade — a prime Atlanta-based producer and former collaborator with OutKast and TLC — has died … based on rap legend Killer Mike.

Killer Mike shared a pair pics of the Atlanta rap recreation mainstay to his Instagram early Saturday morning … sending prayers to Wade’s household and thanking him for bringing him into musical collective The Dungeon Household again within the day.

Mike did not present a explanation for demise … and, fellow hip hop legends — like CeeLo Green and Three 6 Mafia — shared their condolences on the submit.

Wade co-founded Organized Noize — a manufacturing trio alongside Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown — and produced among the greatest data in music historical past.

Amongst them … OutKast’s “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” TLC’s “Waterfalls,” Ludacris‘ “Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)” — they usually contributed to the soundtrack of the 1996 movie “Set It Off” starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah.

Organized Noize additionally began the music collective The Dungeon Household … giving many artists like Killer Mike, CeeLo Inexperienced and Big Boi the chance to place their music out broad.

In actual fact, some rappers like Massive Boi say Rico was so influential, there can be no OutKast with out them … a monumental improvement in rap.

Wade was 52.