Hip Hop lost another great emcee Saturday. Itβs been just over a week since Black Rob was seen expressing his condolences for the passing of rap icon DMX from his hospital bed in Atlanta, Ga., in an Instagram video posted by New York City radio host DJ Self. Now, the Hip Hop community is morning the βWoah!β emceeβs death while celebrating his contributions to the culture.
Suggested Reading
Black Rob was born Robert Ross on July 12, 1969, in Buffalo, N.Y. The former Bad Boy rapper grew up in East Harlem βwhere he began rapping as a preteen,β according to Variety. Rob is best known for his hit single βWhoa!β from his 2000 debut album βLife Story.β The 51-year-old left Bad Boy in the mid-2000s, but he joined label owner Sean βP. Diddyβ Combs and other current and former Bad Boy artists for a reunion tour in 2016.
Robβs death was first announced by another former Bad Boy rapper, Mark Curry, who said through tears Saturday that βRob passed away about an hour ago,β after thanking people who donated to his GoFundMe page.
From Variety:
In a second video, Curry said that he was with the rapper when he died. βRest in peace to my brother. I was there with him. I was there with him,β Curry said.
βPuff, I ainβt talked to Puff in 15 years β we talked today,β Curry continued, referring to Combs. βThis is the beginning of a new us. Rob made sure he knew what he had to do before he parted this world to make sure we all alright, and thatβs what he did. Bad boy for life, yo.β
Robβs cause of death still hasnβt been announced, but, according to TMZ, he had been βbattling kidney failure for some time.β In another Instagram video posted by DJ Self, Rob is heard speaking on health problems, including four strokes, that he had been dealing with for the last five years.
βLord knows I tried to get help ...... Iβm sad to say RIP to Black Rob,β DJ Self wrote in a separate post.
Of course, fellow Hip Hop greats like Q Tip, LL Cool J, GZA and Pharoahe Monch took to Twitter to pay their respects.
Rest well, Black Rob. Everything you did for Hip Hop was βlike Woah!β
Straight From
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.