Static Major was a music icon who changed R&B forever. Louisville will remember his name.

I remember exactly where I was when I heard the devastating news: Louisville's own Stephen Garrett—better known to music fans as the pioneering writer, producer, singer and rapper Static Major—had tragically died at Baptist Hospital East, following complications from a medical procedure.

I was in the middle of editing copy for the Courier Journal’s Neighborhoods section but Static took precedence. I leaned over to our copy chief, urgently relaying the news.

This was a huge loss—not just for hip-hop, but for our city. The presses must be stopped. The front page must be torn apart.

This was breaking news of the highest order. This was Static.

But my editor didn’t know the name. He had no knowledge of Static, no connection to his decade-plus career, no recollection of the radio hits under his belt.

There was only one way I could get through to my editor—I had to pull out the trump card: “He worked with Beyonce,” I said.

My editor’s eyes widened. “Oh! Beyonce?” he replied. “Yeah, we need to do something.”

Technically that was a bit of a cheat—Static hadn’t produced music for Beyonce’s solo career, but he was featured on the “Say My Name Remix,” a moody retooling of the No. 1 single from Beyonce’s group Destiny’s Child. But a decade before she’d become the biggest pop star on the planet, Beyonce’s name still rang bells with even the most novice of music fans.

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It always saddened me that Static Major’s name didn’t resound as strongly in the very streets that he called home. Especially because his love for the 502 shined so brightly in everything he did.

Like a Motown group for the new millennium

I didn’t know much about Louisville when I moved to the city in 2001 to begin my career as a journalist, but I did know one thing—it was the home base of Playa, one of my favorite R&B groups of the era. Static, Jawaan "Smoke E. Digglera" Peacock and Benjamin "Digital Black" Bush were like a Motown group for the new millennium, effortlessly stacking harmonies over soulful production. The sound of their 1998 debut album Cheers 2 U was so warm and distinct, especially in an era that was transitioning away from the fundamentals of R&B.

But these guys were no mere throwbacks—they were trendsetters. Along with cohorts Missy Elliott and Timbaland, the collective known as the Supafriends rewrote the rules of hip-hop and R&B. Static’s pen was especially potent as he became the secret weapon behind a generation of hits: Ginuwine’s “Pony,” Aaliyah’s “Try Again” and “Are You That Somebody,” credits on albums from Jay-Z and Brandy to Jamie Foxx and Nas, his work ethic was as endless as his creativity.

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And all the while, Static remained authentically Louisville.

Skip to track No. 7 on Playa’s debut album and you’ll find “I-65,” a catchy ode about returning to your roots. Years before I’d drive that stretch of interstate daily, Static and the crew taught me all I needed to know about weekends in Louisville—good times at the park, connecting with community, even laughing off folks who randomly sit on the hood of your car.

And every time I’d drive down I-65 into downtown, I’d lean over and tell my wife, “Static needs one of those hometown hero banners.”

Static’s legacy has always been firmly in the streets of Louisville, but it looms too large to be confined there. It deserves to touch the sky.

Static's legacy rewrote the DNA of modern R&B

His legacy rewrote the DNA of modern R&B, paring traditional harmonies with colloquial songwriting to make the marriage between hip-hop and R&B even stronger. You see his fingerprints in modern music—from the production of artists like Drake to the unconventional approach of R&B’s Bryson Tiller, another hometown hitmaker. Even Louisville’s Jack Harlow paid tribute to Static by fashioning his own Kentucky-shaped chain, exactly like the one Static made famous. And of course, his legacy lives on through former partners Smokey and Black, who now tour as members of R&B group Dru Hill – a group Playa opened for way back in the 90s when I was singing along to “I-65” two states away.

Sadly, Static was unable to celebrate with us when his biggest hit—“Lollipop” with Lil Wayne—achieved diamond status and won a Grammy.

However, as a fan, no award or diamond plaque fills me with as much pride as seeing Static’s face high above the city he loved so much. It takes a special talent to make a transplant like me fall in love with a city before I even stepped foot there. But that was the magic of Static.

There will no longer be any doubt: His city will remember his name.

Edward T. Bowser is a former Courier Journal copy editor; currently serves as Deputy Director for Communications for the City of Birmingham, Ala.; and is founder of SoulinStereo.com, a music and pop culture website.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Static Major is a Louisville hometown hero and music legend