Timothy ‘Buc Wild’ Joseph, longtime ‘Star & Buc Wild’ radio personality, dies at 47

The former HOT 97 personality built a decades-long partnership and friendship with “Star” Torain.

Timothy Joseph, the radio personality better known as Buc Wild from the influential “Star & Buc Wild” show, has died at 47, according to HOT 97.

Joseph’s death was announced Wednesday, Sept. 9, by his longtime friend and former co-host Troi “Star” Torain during a YouTube livestream. Torain reflected on a relationship that stretched across decades, describing Joseph as someone he had helped raise while paying tribute to the man behind the radio persona.

HOT 97 reported that Joseph died Sunday at the Pink Houses housing complex in Brooklyn. A cause of death has not been confirmed publicly.

For longtime New York hip-hop radio listeners, Joseph was part of a distinctive era. The “Star & Buc Wild” partnership developed from the personalities created by Torain and Joseph and eventually became a major presence on HOT 97’s morning lineup. The pair later continued working together at other stations and through their broader media projects.

Joseph’s connection with Torain went beyond their professional partnership. In his tribute, Torain recalled helping Joseph with dyslexia while the two worked at HOT 97. One of their recurring bits, “Buc Wild’s Lottery Numbers,” turned Joseph’s difficulty reading lottery numbers into a feature designed to build his confidence rather than embarrass him.

That personal history was central to Torain’s remembrance. He described Joseph as a likable person who had a support system around him and acknowledged that their relationship could be complicated, with disagreements alongside years of loyalty and friendship.

Joseph’s death has prompted an outpouring of memories from listeners who grew up with the show. His impact was tied not only to the controversial and unconventional style of “Star & Buc Wild,” but also to the distinctive place the program occupied in New York’s hip-hop radio culture.

Torain ended his livestream by indicating that he had more to say about his longtime partner.

Joseph’s family and friends are mourning a radio figure whose voice and character became part of a memorable chapter in New York broadcasting.