Artist born Rodney Price was hugely respected among his grime peers and was known for creating some of its most distinctive sounds. Respected music producer Terror Danjah, who worked with some of the foremost artists of the UK’s grime scene, has reportedly died. The news was announced on Tuesday (11 February) by musician D Power Diesle on social media in a brief statement that said: “People! Sad sad news! [Terror Danjah] has unfortunately passed away.
“God bless all his family, I will let you know when I know more.”. Born Rodney Price in east London, the producer was described as a “great uncle” of grime thanks to his work nurturing generations of talent, collaborating with early pioneers of the scene including Wiley, Ghetts, Jammer and Kano. He began his career by DJing at local house parties before starting out as a producer around 2001. Two years later, he produced NASTY’s “Cock Back” ft Crazy Titch and Bruza.
Price swiftly became known for creating some of grime’s most distinctive sounds, including his trademark “gremlin”, a robotic cackle that added an extra dose of suspense. His music soon found its way to pivotal underground labels including Hyperdub, Tru Thoughts and Planet Mu, along with his own Hardrive Records, through which he released a number of solo projects. He held a diplomatic view on artists venturing into mainstream territory, telling Vice that it depended on “whether you can stay true to the music”.
“It would be lovely to get a national hit but it would be beautiful to do it from what I do now,” he said. “I know it’s gonna take some wider thinking and maybe less intricate but at the same time, it’s all about timing because you can do what the Wileys, Tinies and Skeptas are doing; making music for the market and then making music for them.”. He continued: “It seems as time goes on, people are accepting more of the underground culture because it’s becoming more of a norm. Ten or 15 years ago, there was a massive gap and now both sides are just merging into one big pot.”.
In the same interview, he recalled an amusing anecdote of how Tinie Tempah, who rose to fame with 2010 singles “Pass Out” and “Frisky”, was coming to visit him at his home. Price warned him to get there before 2.30pm. “He still tried to come into the ends at 3pm and ended up getting chased down the road by a mob of [school] girls,” he remembered. “You know when someone doesn’t realised how big they are? Them girls know everything, so of course they’d chase him. Lesson learnt!”.
Price remained active well into the 2010s, working with electronic artist Four Tet on his 2014 single “Killer” and releasing an album, Invasion, in 2019. That same year, his family released a statement telling fans that he was “critically ill” from an unconfirmed illness and in a coma. Price’s social media accounts have been inactive since then, and he appeared to disappear from the public eye.
Following the news of his death, tributes poured in from former collaborators, fans and friends. “Rest in peace,” rapper and singer Big Zuu wrote on X. “A very kind soul who always had time for the mandem and just wanted to see us win. Sending prayers and blessings to your family.”. “RIP Terror Danjah,” artist Kush Jones wrote. “One of my favs and one of the best grime producers ever. His style was truly unique.”.
