David Bowie was a musical icon. His art transcended genres and audiences and influenced myriad artists with his legendary creativity. Bowie's career took many turns, and he frequently surprised press and fans with his outrageous antics. Despite the many classic songs that Bowie performed himself, the revered songwriter shared many of his compositions with his musical peers. Without Bowie, we would never hear "All The Young Dudes" or the brilliant production of Lou Reed's Transformer. Needless to say, Bowie was a heavyweight, and his death on Sunday evening was devastating to fans around the word. Bowie died of cancer at the age of 69, surrounded by friends and family. Among those saddened by the popular artist's death are the Hip Hop community, where many artists felt the influence of Bowie's indelible music in their expression. Included among these mourners are Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco.
"David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime...I pray for his friends and family," Kanye West wrote in two individual tweets.
MC Hammer, too, tweeted in remembrance of the late performer. "Salute and Thank you to #DavidBowie for standing up for #BlackMusicians RIP @Iam360WISE."
"The entirety of my David Bowie gestalt begins and ends with this movie right here. Peace Out!," Lupe Fiasco wrote.
The New York Times reports that Bowie had been diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago. Despite his illness, he was able to release the album Blackstar two days before his death. Bowie also collaborate on an Off Broadway musical Lazarus, which, according to the Times, "was a surreal sequel to the 1976 film that featured his definitive screen role, The Man Who Fell to Earth." The film tells of an extraterrestrial being who comes to work to obtain water for his draught-stricken planet.
