Van Bates - aka Black Hesher - has reportedly passed away. Originally from Boston before relocating to Lemon Grove, Bates grew up in the North Street projects, a colorful but hard life that later inspired his mad scientist fusions of sounds by combining his East Coast hip-hop influences with punk, alt rock, psychedelic folk, and flea market funk beats. Van Bates is one of the coolest people I know, wrote local author Spike Steffenhagen last year. He is the only person to get me to listen to a hip hop album and can hold a conversation on multiple topics. He also has the most interesting T-shirts that only he can pull off.