Star delivers emotional tribute to Buc Wild in the wake of his passing; Says he raised him like a son [VIDEO]
The radio personality mourned Timothy Joseph during a livestream, calling him family and questioning the circumstances of his death
Troi “Star” Torain delivered an emotional tribute to Timothy “Buc Wild” Joseph during a YouTube livestream on September 9, 2026. Joseph died on September 6 at age 47. The clip, posted by @Thechat101, shows Star speaking into a microphone with archival photos of the pair displayed above him. He often looks downward.
Star called Joseph his son and said he raised him. He described the loss as devastating and said he had already contacted a lawyer to pursue answers about the circumstances of the death. Hot 97 later confirmed the death. The clip has over 280,000 views and thousands of likes.
A Father’s Grief
Star opened the livestream by reframing the relationship for everyone watching. Most listeners knew Joseph as his “alleged half brother.” Star said he raised him. He called Joseph his son. That distinction mattered because it changed the entire tone of the tribute. This was not a former co-host remembering a colleague. This was a parent mourning a child.
He stated that Joseph died on Sunday at the Pink Houses apartment complex in Brooklyn. He mentioned “possible fentanyl” as a potential factor but immediately added that he did not have confirmation. Repeatedly, he said that Joseph was loved and had a support system. While he said they stayed in contact over the years, he said it was sometimes difficult to reach him. The pauses between those sentences carried as much weight as the words.
Star described Joseph as a likable person who could get along with almost anyone. He mentioned that Joseph had a few children and described the mother of Joseph’s son as “such a beautiful human being.” Star said he had spoken with her earlier and that her words caused him to break down in tears.
Star acknowledged that Joseph was not someone who wanted fame in the same way he did, and that he had to learn to accept that difference. Their relationship involved arguments across decades. Star said he had learned patience and sacrifice through it. He said he expected the full weight of the loss to hit later, around 4 a.m., and that he would likely be in tears then.
The Lottery Numbers and the Dyslexia
A substantial portion of the remarks focused on Joseph’s dyslexia. Star recalled working with flash cards together at Hot 97 to help Joseph with reading. He explained that they created the recurring on-air segment “Buc Wild’s Lottery Numbers,” in which Joseph read lottery numbers, sometimes outdated ones.
Star said the bit was designed so Joseph would feel confident and comfortable and so it would never appear that they were mocking him. He thanked former Hot 97 colleagues Tracy Claudy and Judy Ellis for supporting Joseph during that period. In addition, he expressed gratitude to people who had helped Joseph over the years and who understood his dyslexia and other difficulties.
The lottery-numbers segment, originally a practical accommodation for dyslexia, became one of the show’s recognizable recurring bits. It is now being cited as an example of how the pair handled a co-host’s learning disability on air without reducing it solely to mockery.
Questions About the Death
Star stated he had already contacted a lawyer. He raised questions about the apartment in the Pink Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in East New York, Brooklyn. He asked whether management or operators of public housing knew of drug activity there and whether anyone had died in that apartment before Joseph.
With that, he said that if such knowledge existed, those responsible “better get ready.” He indicated he would not discuss every detail of the location and circumstances that night but made clear he intended to pursue answers. No official cause of death has been released by authorities. Star’s mention of possible fentanyl and questions about the apartment remain unverified public statements.
Star described the specific apartment as a location where people used drugs and referenced an email he received from someone connected to the complex.
X Pays Their Respects to Buc Wild
Users who listened in the 2000s described the show as a morning ritual before school or work.
Hot 97’s official account posted a confirmation with a photo and “RIP,” drawing thousands of likes. Rapper Vinnie Paz posted a video tribute stating that Star and Buc Wild “changed the temperature of hip-hop,” were “not polite, not safe,” and were “loud, smart, and unforgettable.” He added that Buc Wild’s writing in The Source had been formative for him as a teenager.
Individual users wrote that the pair “crawled so all other morning shows could walk,” that the show was “pure comedy,” and that the loss felt like a blow to childhood memories.
Other radio accounts posted obituary links. Individual users wrote that the pair “crawled so all other morning shows could walk,” that the show was “pure comedy,” and that the loss felt like a blow to childhood memories. Several comments specifically noted that Star rarely appears this subdued. A smaller number of posts referenced the Pink Houses location or the unconfirmed fentanyl mention, usually in the context of condolences rather than debate.
The Star & Buc Wild Legacy
Star and Joseph’s professional partnership originated in Star’s “Reality Check” column in The Source magazine. By 1998 they were producing a “Star & Buc Wild” show for Manhattan public-access television. They later hosted MTV’s “Beat Suite.” In 2000 they joined Hot 97 for mornings.
The show mixed hip-hop, comedy, cultural commentary, and confrontation. It developed a large New York audience and was known for unfiltered talk and the contrasting dynamic between the two hosts. They left Hot 97 in 2003 amid a contract dispute and later appeared at Power 105.1 before moving their platform to the internet and other outlets.
Star’s on-air style generated repeated controversies. After leaving terrestrial morning radio, he continued independently through VladTV, Everyday Struggle, and The Star Report on YouTube. Joseph remained associated with the brand even as his on-air presence fluctuated. Hot 97 later confirmed the death.
The Larger Loss
The death removes one half of a partnership that helped define a confrontational, personality-driven era of New York hip-hop radio in the early 2000s. Star & Buc Wild operated in the same market as Howard Stern and other high-profile morning shows. They were frequently described as among the more polarizing and highly rated urban morning programs of their peak period.
Star’s public recharacterization of Joseph as a son he raised, rather than primarily a half-brother or radio sidekick, recasts years of on-air banter for listeners who only knew the performed personas. His statements about contacting an attorney and about conditions in public housing introduce a potential legal and civic dimension that has not been independently confirmed.
For Star’s independent YouTube audience, the stream continues his long-running practice of mixing personal disclosure, industry history, and legal or confrontational talk. For former Hot 97 listeners, it closes a chapter associated with a specific period of the station’s identity.
The post Star delivers emotional tribute to Buc Wild in the wake of his passing; Says he raised him like a son [VIDEO] appeared first on Hip Hop Vibe.
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