Zeph Ellis obit

Reports: Dot Rotten Has Died

Wiley, Logan Sama, Brvtherhood pay their respects... 

He was not on the list.

Multiple reports are suggesting that grime pioneer Dot Rotten has died.

The South London born figure – real name Joseph Ellis-Stevenson – burst on to the scene as a true all-rounder, a magnetic MC and a deeply influential producer. With an incredible appetite for flipping samples, Dot Rotten also had a melodic side, one that sat alongside his skills as a battle MC.

Initially known as Young Dot, his debut mixtape came back in 2007, with Dot Rotten subsequently inking a major label deal with Mercury – indeed, he was nominated on the BBC Sound Of poll for 2012.

Capable of linking with top tier figures – Ed Sheeran was a fan, and the two collaborated – Dot Rotten always kept it fresh, influencing generations of artists. His ‘XCXD BXMB’ riddim was utilised by both Kano and AJ Tracey, a sign of Dot’s impact on UK underground music.

Wiley was amongst the first to report Dot Rotten’s passing, posting a tribute on his Instagram page.

The comments include tributes from several pivotal grime figures associated with Dot Rotten, including Slimzee, and other non-scene artists including Jelani Blackman, who called Dot Rotten an “icon”.

Birmingham artist Rynsa Man was close to Dot Rotten, and he shared an emotional tribute to the UK artist –

A post shared by ł₮’ֆ ᏒɎИֆΛ MΛИ 🎶 🔴⚪️⚫️ (Rʏɴsᴀ Mᴀɴ) (@itsrynsaman)

UK duo BRVTHERHOOD are closely associated with Dot Rotten, with the group’s Blaze writing:

DJ and broadcaster Logan Sama posted a tribute, and when CLASH asked if the news had been confirmed he responded that he trusted communications from BRVTHERHOOD “implicitly”.

Logan Sama wrote –

Dot Rotten was reportedly in Africa when he passed. No official statement has been shared online.

Joseph Ellis-Stevenson (19 October 1988 – March 2026), better known by his stage names Zeph Ellis and Dot Rotten, was a British MC, rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Lambeth, South London.

Having released a series of mixtapes independently under the names Young Dot and later Dot Rotten, Ellis signed to Mercury Records, releasing his debut studio album Voices in My Head in 2013. After leaving the major label, he later released several independent EP's and projects, as well as later changing his name to Zeph Ellis and focusing on producing

He is known for having introduced various sampling techniques to grime production, and creating the style of singing hooks on grime tracks. These styles can be heard throughout his discography from the early Young Dot era to his present projects under the Zeph Ellis moniker.