Music : Omen, producer for Drake, Beyoncé, and Lil Wayne, has died at 49

Sidney Brown, the producer and DJ best known as Omen who collaborated with Drake, Beyoncé, and Lil Wayne, has passed away. He was found in his Harlem, New York apartment on Saturday, September 13, by his sister, Nicole Iris Brown. “He was holistic and healthy. So we don’t know of him being sick, so this is all pretty sudden,” she shared in a statement to NBC News. Brown was 49.

Born in Harlem in 1976, Brown spent the late 1990s and early 2000s producing for artists connected to Roc-A-Fella Records. His credits from that era include Memphis Bleek’s Coming of Age, Mýa’s Moodring, and Fabolous’ Street Dreams, among others. He also composed the score for Paper Soldiers, the 2002 rap comedy from Roc-A-Fella’s film division that marked Kevin Hart’s debut on the big screen.

In 2006, Brown produced “Tell It Like It Is” for Ludacris’ Release Therapy, the album that went on to win Best Rap Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards. A few years later, he connected with Drake through Noah “40” Shebib, leading to his co-production on “Shut It Down,” Drake’s duet with The-Dream from the 2010 debut Thank Me Later. Brown and Shebib collaborated again on Lil Wayne’s “I’m Single,” and later on “Mine,” Beyoncé’s duet with Drake from her 2013 self-titled album.

Brown’s final production credit came in 2015 on Action Bronson’s album Mr. Wonderful, though he remained active as a DJ at neighborhood bars and restaurants. “I hope people will remember that he was willing to help the younger generation,” his sister told NBC. “He was always big on helping younger people start their careers and get themselves into the game. It was about just the music, no matter who the artist was.”