Black Rob, Former Bad Boy Rapper, Dead at 51

Rapper Black Rob, who was once signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy label, died Saturday. He was 51. Black Rob, born Robert Ross, was best known for his 2000 hit single “Whoa!,” which hit the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared on several Bad Boy compilations. Ross’ death came just days after a video of him sending his condolences to DMX’s family from a hospital bed. A cause of death has not been revealed.

Several of Ross’ close friends reported his death on Instagram. “Lord knows I tried to get help… I’m sad to say RIP to Black Rob… Passed away in the hospital in Atlanta,” DJ Self wrote. “This hit my heart……. we will NEVER forget you brother! RIP BLACK ROB,” Mario Winans added. Entertainment manager Kal Dawson also confirmed Ross’ death, reports Complex.

“We’ve lost another member of our Hip Hop family,” New York City promoter Van Silk told HipHopDX. “Many may have been unaware that Black Rob has been sick over the years until Mark Curry posted the video from the hospital. My memory of Black Rob was when he used to come by DJ Kay Slay’s studio to do the mixtapes. He was a someone who you would just wanna hang around with. May my brother Rest In Heaven.”

Ross suffered several health issues in recent years, including a mild stroke in 2015. It was not known that he was back in the hospital until a video of him reacting to DMX’s death surfaced last week, reports Revolt. “I feel everything about X. X was positive. Love to X,” Ross said in the clip, which DJ Self published. After that, Ross revealed he was homeless. Producer Mike Zombie launched a GoFundMe page to help him, and another former Bad Boy rapper, Mark Curry, revealed on social media that Diddy was trying to help.

On April 10, Curry shared a video reporting Ross was discharged from the hospital. He noted it was “overwhelming” to see how many people “care about our legends.” The last post on Ross’ own Instagram page was a message to fans, telling them he was getting better. “I’m going to get better & hopefully have the opportunity to see more of you,” he wrote. “As I progress I will keep you all posted!”

Ross grew up in East Harlem and began working with the Bad Boy label in 1996. He released his first solo album, Life Story, in 2000 and it was certified platinum thanks to the success of the lead single “Whoa!” In 2001, he was featured alongside Diddy and Curry on “Bad Boy for Life.” He followed the album in 2005 with The Black Rob Report. After leaving Bad Boy in 2010, he continued recording. He released his final album, Genuine Article, in 2015.