( CNN ) -- Ricky Dunigan , better known as Lord Infamous , a founding member of the Oscar-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia , died of a heart attack last week , according to a release from Black Rain Entertainment . Dunigan , 40 , died Friday . `` Dunigan 's family is grateful for all the condolences and prayers , and would like to request privacy in their time of grief , '' the statement said . Lord Infamous left the group in 2006 , the year Three 6 Mafia surprisingly won an Academy Award for best original song with `` It 's Hard Out Here For a Pimp , '' from the movie `` Hustle & Flow . '' Billboard reported he was forced to leave , having spent time locked up . That year , Dunigan and Il Tone , a longtime friend , founded the music company Black Rain Entertainment , and Lord Infamous soon began a solo career . Earlier this year , he rejoined his old band mates to form Da Mafia 6ix , according to Rolling Stone magazine . One of his fellow rappers , DJ Paul , who was with him at his mother 's house in Memphis , Tennessee , when Lord Infamous died , said , `` He was at home sitting at the table and he just lay his head down and he just left us . '' The group was planning to release an album next March . `` Lord Infamous was the kind of person that never cared about having a lot of money or this or that , '' DJ Paul told Rolling Stone . `` He just liked to make music , he liked to rap , and he liked to make people happy . '' Juicy J , another Three 6 Mafia member , thanked fans for their condolences on Twitter : `` Thx you for your prayers , I 'm very hurt , ca n't believe it 's true , '' he wrote to his 1.4 million followers . Rolling Stone reported that Lord Infamous had a heart attack and stroke in 2010 , but had not been sick recently .
Lord Infamous was born Ricky Dunigan and grew up in Memphis . With several other rappers , he began the group Three 6 Mafia . The group became well - known when they won an Emmy in 2006 . Lord was reunited with his band mates this year and they were working on new material .