R.I.P. ‘Like Whoa’ Bad Boy Rapper, Black Rob, Passes Away At 51

Posted On : April 17, 2021

[L] Black Rob; [R] Sean “Diddy” Combs
Sadly, we have lost another rapper way too young, ILOSM family. Rap artist, Black Rob, has died at age 51. He’s most familiar for his stint on Bad Boy Records roster as the rapper who brought us the hit song, “Whoa” back in 2000.

Though the brotha was only 51 years young, he’d been battling  a series of health issues in recent years.

Unfortunately, Black Rob reportedly died today (Saturday, April 17, 2021) from kidney failure, which he is said to have been battling for a long while.

His friend, New York radio personality DJ Self, broke the news of Black Rob’s passing on social media:

”Lord knows i tried to get help …… I’m sad to say RIP to Black Rob.”

 

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In recent days, DJ Self was with Black Rob as the rapper neared what we now know were clearly his last days. It’s heartbreaking, but Self was dedicated to using his platform to let fans witness the condition his friend was in. He captioned one video post with, “Black Rob speaks!!!! I feel it’s better you hear from him.”

In the video, Black Rob shared that he’d been struggling with health issues for the past five years, which included several strokes and other health battles. At one point in the video, Rob seemed tired of enduring all that he was going through, as he transparently confessed, “I need some rest, man. Really, man, I need some rest.” According to reports, Black Rob was also allegedly homeless toward the end of his life, which he appeared to reference in the video below as well.

 

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Black Rob Paid Tribute To DMX From His Hospital Bed, Days Before He Passed

On April 9th, approximately one week before Black Rob passed away, DJ Self shared a video of Rob from his hospital bed, as he paid homage to the late Ruff Ryders rap legend, DMX. X sadly passed away at age 50 that same day  after complications from a drug overdose days earlier. At that time, DJ Self also urged fans to keep Black Rob in their prayers, urging him to “Get well man Please people out there take care of yourself BR was one of the greats Had NY on his back like Whaooo.”
Watch Black Rob’s message below…

 

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It’s unclear if Black Rob was still pursuing music after leaving Bad Boy Records years ago. However, he did reunite with Diddy and the rest of the Bad Boy camp in 2016 for the “Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.”

Our deepest condolences to Black Rob’s family and loved ones. He’s no longer in pain. Rest well king.

About I Love Old School Music

We salute the incredible people and beautiful memories of that "old school". We’re not saying that every artist and every facet of the soul era was perfect, but the artists’ contributions to soul music and the old school memories of that particular time are PRICELESS.