Erick Morillo: the creator of “I Like to Move It” has died

DJ Erick Morillo, creator of the worldwide hit “I Like to Move It,” died, and his body was found Tuesday at his home in Miami Beach, Florida, police said. At first, the cause of death was unclear. No traces of the use of force were found, a police spokesman said. But the autopsy is still pending.

Morillo was scheduled to go to court next Friday to deal with the rape accusations against him. A woman had accused Morillo of raping her last December while she was sleeping.

Born in New York and raised partly in Colombia, Morillo had enjoyed great success as a DJ, especially in the so-called house scene. He released his hit “I Like to Move It” in 1993 under the pseudonym Reel 2 Real.

Morillo only appeared briefly in the video for the song. He left the field largely to the singer of the song, Trinidadian Mark Quashie aka The Mad Stuntman. “I Like to Move It” also became part of the soundtrack to the popular 2005 animated film “Madagascar.”