Bob Power, a veteran music engineer and producer known for his work on classic hip-hop and R&B albums, has died at the age of 74. The trailblazing figure passed away on March 1, with tributes pouring in from industry peers like DJ Premier and Questlove. No cause of death has been revealed.
Bob Power, an acclaimed music engineer and record producer, passed away on March 1, 2026, at the age of 74. His death was announced by DJ Premier on social media, where the producer praised Power's contributions to landmark albums. “R.I.P. to one of the iLLest Engineers of all time…Mr. BOB POWER,” DJ Premier wrote on March 2. “Thank you for your various pointers in recording from D’Angelo to ATCQ’S Low End Theory, Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, and so on!”
Questlove also shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, describing Power as an engaging and enthusiastic craftsman of sound. “You could NOT encounter a more engaging, enthusiastic, laser-focused craftsman of sound and Sonic’s (engineer/mixing/production),” Questlove began. He recalled how Power patiently answered his questions about recording techniques, calling him “our training wheels for how to present music.” The post concluded, “I’m so devastated by his passing. Thank you for changing all of our lives, Bob.”
Power's career spanned decades, beginning after he earned degrees in music theory and jazz. In the mid-1980s, he started engineering at New York’s Calliope Studios, working on Stetsasonic’s album On Fire. He became a key figure for the Native Tongues collective, notably engineering A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory. Power revolutionized blending sample-based arrangements with deep bass, collaborating with artists including Erykah Badu on Baduizm, D’Angelo on Brown Sugar, Me’Shell Ndegéocello, The Roots, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Common, and De La Soul.
Beyond music, Power composed for advertising clients like Coca-Cola, Mercedes, and AT&T, and for television, including the theme for the Emmy-winning PBS series Over Easy and Disney’s The Scheme of Things. His work earned over 40 chart records, more than 20 gold or platinum certifications, and two Grammy nominations. Power's contributions are recognized in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the U.S. National Recording Registry. At the time of his death, he served as an Associate Arts Professor at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
