Black Rob, the rapper from New York City, who was previously part of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy label, has died, according to his former partner, Mark Curry. He was 51.
Rob’s former partner, Mark Curry, announced Rob’s death in two videos posted on Instagram on Saturday, and Variety confirmed that he had gone through additional sources. “I do not know where to start,” Curry said in the first video. ‘But I thank everyone for the donations. Rob passed away about an hour ago. ‘
In a second video, Curry said he was with the rapper when he died. “Rest in peace for my brother. I was there with him. I was there with him, “said Curry.
“Puff, I’m not talking to Puff in 15 years – we talked today,” Curry continued, referring to Combs. “This is the beginning of a new us. Rob made sure he knew what he had to do before he separated this world to make sure we were all in order, and that’s what he did. Bad boy for life, yo. ”
Rob’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed, although DJ’s friend DJ Self said on Instagram that he suffered from kidney problems last week. On April 11, Curry and producer Mike Zombie start a GoFundMe to help Rob pay his medical bills. The next day, Curry said on Instagram that Rob had been discharged from the hospital and said he planned to see him later to help with his recovery. In another video, Curry said Rob was placed on dialysis.
‘This Gofundme is to help him find a home, pay for medical help and stability during these difficult times. We have lost many legends and we can no longer afford to lose. This is my way of trying to help, ”reads the description. Donations poured in after the announcement of his death.
Born Robert Ross in Buffalo, NY, the Bad Boy rapper grew up in East Harlem, where he began raping as a predecessor. He has released four studio albums, the most successful of which was his debut “Life Story” in 2000. Rob is perhaps best known for his hit single “Whoa!” Which peaked at the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 43. Along with Curry, Rob appeared on Combs’ ‘Bad Boy 4 Life’, which was in the 33rd rankings. Although he left Bad Boy Records in the mid-2000s, Rob reunites with the crew for select dates from the 2016 Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.
Ellise Shafer contributed to this report.