DJ Erick Morillo – famous for his 1993 hit song I Like To Move It – was found dead in Florida.
The 49-year-old musician’s body was discovered on a property in Miami Beach this morning, according to police.
His 1993 hit song, released under the name Reel 2 Real, has appeared in ad spaces and movies over the years.
Miami Police Officer Ernesto Rodriguez said: “We received a 911 call this morning at 10.42 AM to 5660 La Gorce Drive.
The investigators are currently on the site and in the initial stages of the investigation. “
On August 6, Murillo was arrested and charged with sexual beating against a female DJ who was working at a private party on the exclusive Miami Island with him in December 2019.
She went to his home in Miami Beach after that, accompanied by another woman, and claimed that Murillo “took several steps towards her, some of them of a sexual nature, but she refused all his attempts.”
Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D was among those praised on social media, tweeting: “Sad news ?? A true legend. Eric Morello RIP.”
DJ Yusef said, “I don’t believe it. He only talked to him last week… He was troubled, less than perfect but he was always amazing to me and helped us start the circus in the early days, and we had a lot of cool things. Years we are [sic] friends. Really devoured. RIPErickMorillo. “
Morillo at the 2010 Voodoo Nights Hollywood Premiere
Born in New York, Murillo spent most of his early years in Cartagena, Colombia, before returning to the United States at the age of eleven to live with his mother and sister in Union City, New Jersey.
He began DJs at weddings for friends and family at the age of eleven, while attending a private grammar school.
The American Colombian DJ produced the music under several different aliases, including Reel 2 Real for I Like To Move It, which reached # 5 on the UK singles chart in 1994.
The song became the song of an international dancer and made Murillo a millionaire as he traveled between Europe and the United States weekly to record MTV Europe.
Follow the single with a full album, Move It! , Released in 2004 which did particularly well in the UK.
In recent years, the song has maintained its popularity after being featured in the popular Madagascar movie series.
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Despite the song’s massive success, Murillo feared it had damaged his creative leadership and street credibility, so he produced new music under the Erick Morillo Project, becoming a DJ favorite in Ibiza, Europe and Australia.
Morello won the Best International DJ award three times in 2002, 2006 and 2009, and received 15 nominations from 1998-2010.
He later found his own management company with four other DJs and producers, and on his own, Subliminal Records – which he described as “ghetto music but with class”.
In 2013, Murillo had to be escorted off stage on Long Island after 45 minutes due to “erratic behavior” after appearing to be in a daze when he started and at one point left the stage with one song in an episode.
He later said he would take a break and “refocus my attention on my health and wellness.”
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