‘A curator of culture’: Atlanta rapper Dres Tha Beatnik dead at 51

ATLANTA, Ga. - Atlanta’s music community suffered a massive loss on Monday after Dres Tha Beatnik died at 51.

Dres, whose real name was Andre Lett, announced he had kidney disease in March and underwent multiple surgeries. However, an announcement posted to Lett’s Facebook page did not reveal a cause of death.

Originally from Philadelphia, Lett was influential in Atlanta’s hip hop scene. A distinguished beatboxer, MC and event promoter, Lett created and hosted the World Famous Mic Club at Club Apache in the early to mid-2000s; the event sought to radically change hip hop freestyle battles by doing away with cash prizes and so-called “ringers.”

Lett was often hailed for his musicology. In a tribute, rapper Killer Mike called Lett “a curator of culture” and “a cornerstone of Atlanta, hip-hop and underground culture.” Questlove, drummer for The Roots, referred to the death as “devastating.”

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, “Dres tha Beatnik was a unifier, a creative force, and a true champion of Atlanta’s hip-hop and arts community.”

The 51-year-old is honored with a mural at the Cabbagetown Art Center.