All About Laughs
Robert Ross, better known as Bad Boy Records rapper Black Rob, lost his life over the weekend after a years long health struggle. The “Woah!” hitmaker was relatively quiet in his final years and did not jump back on people’s radars until a troubling video of him surfaced paying his respects to another rapper who had just lost their life, DMX. The two found success in the late 90’s and even shared a song together in Mase’s “24 Hours to Live”. Fans have called out his former label head Sean “Diddy” Combs wondering why he did not come to Rob’s aid in his final days and wondering why he died broke and homeless.
“Woah!” peaked at #43 on the billboard Hot 100 back in 2000. It was a street anthem and one of the records that helped usher in the second era of Bad Boy Records, following their initial success in the mid-90’s with The Notorious B.I.G, Total and 112. Rob, a Harlem native, was prepped to be one of hip-hop’s breakout stars. Unfortunately he never found the same level of success in the following years, fading into obscurity until his death.
When people began aware of DMX’s overdose last month and began sending him well wishes, Rob too wanted to pay his respects to his collaborator. Speaking from his hospital bed between heavy breaths, Rob said “Big love to X man.” The heartbreaking hospital video was posted by DJ Self with the caption “Let keep our prayers up Black Rob !!! Get well man Please people out there take care of yourself [Black Rob] was one of the greats Had NY on his back like Whaooo.”
Black Rob’s manager Kat Dawson recently spoke about his passing and called out Diddy for not doing more for his former protege in his final days. In a new interview with the Murder Master Music Show he was very candid on the promises Diddy made and did not deliver on.
“I was told [Diddy would pay for the funeral], but I wasn’t in contact with Diddy. [I heard] from someone affiliated with Rob that Diddy reached out, and he was going to do something for Rob when the video first went up, of him in the hospital. But people were dragging their feet and nothing got done. So now people are talking about paying for his funeral – but he’s ‘dead and gone now. Everybody wants to do something when you’re dead and gone.”
He continued “It was said that Diddy offered him help before. I don’t know if Rob denied [Diddy’s help] or he didn’t want to be bothered . . . but I felt that regardless Rob shouldn’t have been in the position that he was in. I’m not saying that someone is obligated to do anything for him, because [Diddy’s] not. But this was your friend, and whatever happened this guy got you rich and you had good times together. Help him out. What’s the problem with you helping him out a bit.”
