R.I.P.: Timothy Joseph, Former Hot 97 NYC Radio Personality

Timothy Joseph ('79-'26) 

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

Joseph died Sunday at the Pink Houses housing complex in Brooklyn. A cause of death has not been confirmed publicly. His death was announced Wednesday, Sept. 9, by longtime friend and former co-host Troi “Star” Torain during a YouTube livestream.

Joseph and Torain built a decades-long partnership that became a major presence on HOT 97’s morning lineup and later continued at other stations and through broader media projects. For many New York hip-hop radio listeners, the pair defined a distinctive era of the city’s airwaves.

Their relationship went beyond radio. Torain said he had helped raise Joseph and recalled working with him on dyslexia while they were at HOT 97. One recurring bit, “Buc Wild’s Lottery Numbers,” turned Joseph’s difficulty reading lottery numbers into a feature meant to build his confidence rather than embarrass him.

Torain described Joseph as a likable person with a support system around him, while acknowledging that their bond could be complicated, mixing disagreements with years of loyalty and friendship. He ended the livestream by saying he had more to say about his longtime partner.