Diddy tributes former Bad Boy artist Black Rob after death: ‘One of a kind’
Black Rob fans were alarmed by his appearance after he was captured him on video in a hospital bed.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the head of Bad Boy Entertainment, the previous label home of Black Rob, commented on the rapper’s passing yesterday.
“Rest in power King!” Combs wrote in a Sunday post on Instagram.
“As I listen to your records today there’s one thing that they all have in common!” Combs continued. “You have made millions of people all over the world feel good and dance! You are one of a kind! GOD BLESS! Love. You will be truly missed!!!!”
He shared a lighthearted photo of himself and Black Rob in better days.
As previously reported by theGrio, Black Rob fans were alarmed by the New York native’s appearance after Power 105.1’s DJ Self captured him on video in a hospital bed, a recording made so he could share his condolences following the death of his fellow emcee, DMX, on April 9.
“I feel everything about X man. X was positive. Love to X,” he said briefly in the Instagram video.
Black Rob, who was born Robert Ross, had been experiencing a medical crisis of his own. In the video, released just days before his own passing, he said, “I’ve been dealing with this for five years. Damn. Four strokes, I don’t know what to tell you. This sh– is crazy, this sh– is hard. I don’t have no house to live in. I need some rest, man.”
A GoFundMe was quickly established for the rapper, which reached about half of its goal.
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Diddy has been criticized for Rob’s medical state, with many questioning what he owes artists who are no longer on his label. However, some refute that opinion. In a now-viral Twitter thread, journalist Naima Cochrane, who was friends with Black Rob, said, “I also wonder why we think Black label heads are beholden to former artists forever. Rob was offered to resign with Bad Boy, he declined bc he didn’t want to come behind French and other newer acts. He’d also been open about how much *he* was wiling at times when signed.”
Cochrane further emphasized the idea of the creation of a union to care for hip-hop artists who may have medical or housing needs after their careers have waned. The idea has also been supported by No Limit Chief Executive Officer Master P.
TheGrio’s Ashley Terrell contributed to this report.
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