The Hip-hop industry loses another impactful lyricist this year; on April 17, Rapper Robert “Black Rob” Ross died at 51 years old. Best known for his single, “Woah.” and his affiliation with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, friends and loved ones reflect on his talent.
TMZ revealed the news of his passing, subsequently, those close to Rob like MCs Mark Curry and DJ self, verified the statement. The present cause of death is not yet known, however, his medical history includes kidney failure with a series of strokes dating back to 2015. Rob was in the hospital in Atlanta; sending healing thoughts to late Rapper DMX when he was going through his final days.
Rob was born on July 12 1969 in Buffalo,NY, he grew up in East Harlem where he picked up rapping during his teenage years. By age 22, Rob was wrapping under the name, “Bacardi Rob,” and began performing with his first rap group the Schizophrenics.
In 1996, Rob was aligned with Bad Boy label and started to appear on songs like the Bad Boy remix to 112’s “Come See Me.” Other features include Faith Evans, “Love Like This,” (1998) and “24 Hrs. to Live,” by Mase.
Many Hip-hop legends took to social media to share condolences, Otto Von Biz Markie tweeted, ” RIP Black Rob, one of the great millennium-era crime rap novelists, gruff but with Harlem slickness, who endured fire & brimstone to briefly reach the apex, before gravity and the law took hold. Of course, “Whoa,” which owned the world for a full year, the platonic tunnel banger.”
