David Z, the celebrated Minneapolis producer and Prince collaborator born David Rivkin, has died at 78. He passed away on 2 August following complications from an infection, having been treated at a hospital in Burbank, California, according to reports. Widely regarded as a key architect of the "Minneapolis sound," Z left a significant mark on the music industry despite rarely speaking publicly about his own work.

Z engineered Prince's early demo tapes, co-wrote the global hit "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc., and produced the Fine Young Cannibals' chart-topping single "She Drives Me Crazy". He also worked with Billy Idol during his career. Owen Husney, Prince's original manager and the person who introduced the pair, described Z as "the secret ingredient on many, many musical projects," while the Minneapolis Sound paid tribute to him online. His brother, Bobby Z, also worked closely with Prince, serving as drummer in his backing band, the Revolution, for nearly a decade.