John ‘Ecstasy’ Fletcher of rap group Whodini dead at 56

John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, the co-founder of the pioneering rap group Whodini, has died, the group confirmed Wednesday. He was 56.

>> Read more trending news

Fletcher’s death was confirmed by group member Grand Master Dee, Variety reported. Roots drummer Questlove also announced the rapper’s death on social media.

“One love to Ecstasy of the legendary #Whodini,” he wrote. “This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. This is sad, man.”

TMZ also reported Fletcher’s death.

No cause of death has been announced for Fletcher, who was living in the Atlanta area.

Whodini was one of rap music’s early popular groups during the 1980s, Variety reported, with hit singles such as “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night,” “Magic’s Wand” and “The Haunted House of Rock.”

Fletcher was known for his Zorro-like hat and was the group’s focal point, according to Variety.

The group’s synth-heavy sound resulted in one platinum album and two gold albums, the magazine reported.

“The trio, along with producer Larry Smith, made the first hip-hop records that black radio embraced,” writer Nelson George tweeted. “Personality, humor and hooks.”

Fletcher formed Whodini with singer-rapper Jalil Hutchins in Brooklyn, New York, in 1982 and signed with Jive Records, Rolling Stone reported.

The group debuted with the single “Magic’s Wand” and followed with a self-titled album in 1983, the magazine reported.

The band’s breakthrough came the following year with “Escape,” according to Rolling Stone. The song was produced by Kurtis Blow associate Larry Smith and included such smashes as “Freaks Come Out at Night” and “Friends,” which is one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop, appearing in tracks by Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Tupac, Nas and more than 150 others.

Cox Media Group