Grammy-winning Harlem producer Omen dies at 49, autopsy planned

Sidney Omen Brown, the Grammy Award winning producer and longtime Harlem DJ known professionally as Omen, was found dead in his Harlem apartment on September 13. He was 49. Family members and local venues said concerned coworkers notified relatives after he failed to appear for a scheduled shift; the New York City medical examiner is expected to perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Accounts differ slightly on who discovered Brown. His mother, Martha Brown, told TMZ that a relative found his body after staff at his workplace reached out to the family. NBC News reported that his sister, Nicole Iris Brown, found him and quoted her saying, "He was holistic and healthy. So we do not know of him being sick, so this is all pretty sudden." Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Brown built a three decade career producing for major and underground artists across hip hop and R&B, establishing a reputation for versatility and mentorship. Born in Harlem on August 21, 1976, he first came to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with production credits on Roc-A-Fella affiliated releases, including Memphis Bleek’s Coming of Age and Amil’s All Money Is...