Hip-Hop Pioneer Reggie 'Combat Jack' Oss Dead At 48

Hip-hop pioneer and popular podcaster Reggie Ossé, best known as Combat Jack, died Wednesday, just months after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was 48.

Peter Rosenberg, a friend of Ossé’s who’s a radio personality, announced the news on Twitter. 

The former hip-hop lawyer announced his diagnosis in late October via the Twitter account of his podcast, “The Combat Jack Show.”

“In 7 years of podcasting, I’ve never missed an episode. I got hit with some real life shit. I was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer,” he said. He added that he was rushed to the hospital to undergo “severe surgery.” For the past few months, Ossé has been documenting his procedures on social media with the hashtag #CombatCancer.

“The Combat Jack Show,” heralded as one of the top hip-hop podcasts, launched in 2010. Ossé used the platform to interview and profile prominent figures in hip-hop. He recently started also hosting “Mogul,” a podcast dedicated to telling the story of the life and death of Chris Lighty.

Prior to launching his career in podcasting, Ossé worked as a label executive and entertainment lawyer, representing Jay-Z, Damon Dash, DJ Clark Kent and Capone-N-Noreaga, among others.

The hip-hop community paid tribute to Ossé’s legacy on Twitter following the news of his death.