Craig Mack, Bad Boy Records Pioneer & 'Flava In Ya Ear' Rapper, Dead at 46

Hip-hop has unfortunately lost yet another legend. Craig Mack, one of the genre's trailblazers in the '90s, has died on Monday (March 12), NY Daily News reports. He was 46 years old.

The rapper passed away from heart failure at a hospital near his home in Walterboro, South Carolina. Mack, a then-Bad Boy Records signee, rose to fame thanks to his breakthrough hit, 1994's "Flava In Ya Ear." It peaked No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified Platinum and became one of Bad Boy's (which was just launched the year prior) biggest successes at the time. The following remix featured LL Cool J, Rampage, Busta Rhymes and the first official appearance of The Notorious B.I.G. The original "Flava In Ya Ear" single later earned Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance.