Former Bad Boy artist Black Rob, who is known for his 2000 hit single “Whoa!”, has passed away at the age of 51. The exact cause of death is unknown.

The news was reported by former Bad Boy singer and producer Mario Winans as well as by Rob’s frequent collaborator Mark Curry on social media.

Winans shared a photo of Rob on Instagram with the caption, “This hit my heart……. we will NEVER forget you brother! RIP BLACK ROB!”

Meanwhile Curry recorded a tearful video on Saturday confirming the news. “I wanna thank everybody for the donations … Rob passed away — about an hour ago,” he said. “I need for his daughter, Iona Ross, little Robert Ross, y’all get in touch with me, please.”

Black Rob’s passing comes less than a week after a video surfaced showing the rapper frail and in the hospital. In the video Rob had offered his condolences to rapper DMX, who had died earlier that day. It was later revealed by Rob that he was currently homeless and battling severe health issues.

“Oh man, I’ve been dealing with this for five years,” he said in part. “Four strokes … I don’t know what to tell you man.”

Born Robert Ross, Black Rob grew up in Harlem, New York and made his debut as an artist on Bad Boy’s 1996 remix to 112’s “Come See Me.” During the ’90s, he contributed to numerous Bad Boy remixes and singles, most notably “24 Hrs. to Live” featuring Mase, The LOX and DMX. In 1999, Rob released his debut album on Bad Boy titled Life Story. His hit single “Whoa!,” garnered him his first platinum plaque. From there, he continued as a featured artist on various albums, including “Bad Boy for Life” and G-Dep’s “Let’s Get It.”

A GoFundMe page was recently created for him after news of his deteriorating health. Black Rob is survived by his four children: Kayli, Rianna, Diamond, and Million.

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