Grime legend Dot Rotten dies at 37, family confirm

Grime legend Dot Rotten has died, aged 37. His family has confirmed the news, with no official details of his death confirmed, though reports have said he passed away while in Gambia, Africa.

He started his musical journey aged just seven, writing rap songs and making music on computer, ultimately leading to his first release - This Is The Beginning - in 2007, under the name Young Dot.

Though the star went on to work with the likes of Cher Lloyd and Ed Sheeran, he was born Joseph Ellis in Stockwell, London, and shot to fame with his 2012 top-20 hit, Overload, which he said was inspired by his own experiences with depression.

"The whole song was free-styled, I didn't write one word for it," he told Distract TV. It's not the song I wanted to come out with, but it's done a lot and I appreciate all of the feedback I've been getting from it."

However, he progressed from being the face of his music to a place behind the mixing desk, producing for performers such as D-Block Europe and Nines, under the name Zeph Ellis.

He performed under the stage name Dot Rotten - an acronym for Dirty on Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told to Educate Nubians - as well as an homage to EastEnders character, Dot Cotton.

Success led to a host of guest appearances, including Sheeran's Goodbye to You, Mz Bratt's Speeding By and Lloyd's Dub on the Track, as well as an appearance on the 2011 Children In Need single, a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop.

In 2012, he was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2012 prize, with his debut long-player - Voices In My Head - which struggled to break the top 100, leading to a dispute with his record company which saw him become an independent artist, releasing a number of albums alongside his move to the role of producer.

However, shortly before his passing, the grime pioneer returned as Dot Rotten for single, Psalms For Praize.