How did Black Rob die?
Black Rob, real name Robert Ross, died in a hospital on April 17th 2021. The hip-hop legend was 52 and had been suffering from health issues for a while.
The news of Black Rob’s death came from fellow rapper Mark Curry, who was with him when he passed in Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital. Curry told people that Black Rob had had a cardiac arrest due to a rare kidney disease.
Black Rob was most known for his hit ‘Whoa’ in 2000, but his career was somewhat limited because of his history with kidney failure and diabetes. He experienced several strokes in the years leading to his death, and had been on dialysis care for five years.
Just days before Black Rob died, DJ Self posted a video from a different hospital showing Black Rob looking frail, sharing a message about the death of the rapper DMX. In the video, Black Rob spoke about his own condition. “I don’t know, the pain is crazy, man”, he said. “I’ve been dealing with this for five years. Four strokes… I don’t know what to tell you, man. Shit is crazy. This shit is hard”. Black Rob was later discharged from that stay.
People close to the rapper remembered him fondly. Mark Curry told Rolling Stone that Black Rob was really concerned about getting his health better. “He didn’t have any vices”, Curry said. “He was walking the good life and his spirits were good. A true inspiration. A great heart. A kind spirit”.
LL Cool J also shared his respect for Black Rob via a post on Twitter. “A story teller. An MC. A gentleman every time I saw him. Rest in power my brother”, he wrote.
Rapper, Pharoahe Monch, shared “I’m stuck. I’m processing. I’m praying. I’m staring at the wall. Condolences to your children & family” in response to the news of Black Rob.
Producer Buckwild paid tribute, too. “RIP one of the greats. A mix of Biggie storytelling with a twist of Slick Rick truly being missed, especially in this realm of hip-hop. Thank you for penning a timeless classic to my production”. Buckwild was the producer of Black Rob’s biggest track, ‘Woah!’.
Black Rob came up in 1996 through Bad Boy Records, the label founded by Sean Combs (Diddy). He appeared on the remix of 112’s ‘Come See Me’, and then released his debut album, Life Story, four years after. The album reached number three on Billboard 200 and went platinum.
However, Black Rob’s career trajectory slowed noticeably in the following years. He released three more albums – The Black Rob Report, Game Tested, Streets Approved, and Genuine Article – but after serving four years in prison in connection with a grand larceny charge, the rapper couldn’t sustain his early success. He left Bad Boy in 2010, and after a short stint with Duck Down records, he formed his own label.
Mark Curry told reporters that before Black Rob died, Sean Combs had reached out to the rapper to make amends for any differences in the past. He said that Black Rob had been insistent that “One thing [he] was going to do before [he] left this Earth [was] make sure we all speak to each other again”.
Black Rob’s story is one of triumph and tragedy. He experienced the all-too-common reality of artists rising quickly and fading fast. Combined with the even harsher reality of fragile health, Black Rob had many challenges to overcome.
Nonetheless, both he and his music were loved then, and still are now.