The 45 King, is an American hip hop record producer and disc jockey from The Bronx borough of New York City. James began DJing in The Bronx, in 1976. His pseudonym, the 45 King, came from his ability to skillfully DJ using 45 RPM records.

The 45 King first gained fame with his breakbeat track "The 900 Number" in 1988. The song featured a looping of a baritone sax solo from Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself" (1968). The 45 King signed with Tuff City Records that year and was given a production deal. "The 900 Number" remains his signature work, having been resampled by many artists. He was also featured on the 1989 Hustlers Convention album on the UK label Music of Life, which is considered by many to be one of hip-hop's earlier live albums.

Using his popularity from the previous release, the 45 King was able to help the other members of his crew, dubbed the Flavor Unit, which included many well-known hip-hop acts including Chill Rob G, Lakim Shabazz, Apache, and Queen Latifah.