Tim Dolla, Jersey Club pioneer, has died

Jersey club pioneer Tim Dolla has passed away, reportedly last Thursday (July 14).

He is largely credited for being one of the genre’s leading innovators and shapers - being one of the founding members (along with Mike V) of Newark collective Brick Bandits.

Tim Dolla, first an MC and then a producer, made a monumental impact with his track 'Swing Dat Shyt', which launched Jersey Club into the ears of the masses and garnered the club genre huge popularity.

After the viral success of 'Swing Dat Shyt', similar tracks from the scene started to arise and have gone on to become turntable favourites. The success of these dance move-focused tracks helped popularise the Jersey club style.

These club events the Brick Bandits put on acted as a safe space for young people in a city that struggled with deprivation and high crime rates.

Jersey club music first appeared in Newark, New Jersey within the 1990s and the sound fused Baltimore club's hybrid of house and hip hop.

With tempos around 130–140 BPM and a heavier usage of staccato, chopped samples, and triplet kick patterns - Jersey club is an energetic genre that is still widely popular today thanks to the efforts of the likes of Tim Dolla.

Jersey Club DJ and producer UNIIQU3 wrote on Twitter: "He saved lives with Jersey club. He definitely changed mine."

Fans and friends have been pouring in their tributes to the late star, read some of them below.

Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter