Former Bad Boys Records rapper was 51 – Deadline

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Rapper Black Rob, best known for his band with P. Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, passed away on Saturday. He was 51.

TMZ reported the news, with Rob’s fellow MCs Mark Curry and DJ Self taking to social media to support it.

Currently, the cause of death has not been disclosed. However, he is known to have battled kidney failure and also had a series of strokes dating back to 2015. He was recently hospitalized in Atlanta, although subsequently discharged.

Born Robert Ross, Black Rob grew up in East Harlem and started rapping before reaching his teens. At the age of 22 he started performing with his first rap group, the Schizophrenics, under the stage name ‘Bacardi Rob’.

In 1996 Rob became involved with the Bad Boy label and appeared on a remix of 112’s “Come See Me”. The rapper would stay with Bad Boy until 2010, when he left and signed with the independent label Down Duck Records, eventually forming his own label Box and One with Jemal Mosley.

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While Black Rob has been featured on albums from Cru, Ol Dirty Bastard, Channel Live, The Madd Rapper, Benzino, Tony Touch and more throughout his career, many know him from his 2000 hit single, “Whoa!” on the Billboard Hot 100. In total he released four studio albums, including Life story (2000), The Black Rob Report (2005), Game tested, streets approved (2011) and Real article (2015).

In 2013, Rob also ventured into television with a short-lived reality series called Come back kings, in which he appeared opposite Ed Lover, Calvin Richardson, David “Davinch” Chance and more.

Black Rob fathered four children named Kayli, Rianna, Diamond and Million.

Reactions to his death can be found below.

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