Hip-hop podcaster and former music lawyer Reggie Ossé, age 48, died Wednesday after undergoing surgery for colon cancer, reports Billboard. The illness is the third most common cancer in African-American men and women.

Ossé, better known as “Combat Jack,” was host of the popular podcast The Combat Jack Show, which was subtitled the “undisputed #1 HipHop podcast.” The show featured interviews with some of the genre’s biggest names, including mogul Russell Simmons and rap artists Chuck D (Public Enemy) and RZA (Wu-Tang Clan).

After missing his first episode since the show began to air, in October, Ossé revealed his diagnosis via Twitter. “I got hit with some real life sh–. I was recently diagnosed with colon cancer,” he tweeted. “I was rushed to the hospital, had some pretty severe surgery.”

In the tweet, Ossé expressed optimism about his future. “I’m on the mend right now. I’m about to jump on this journey to health with chemo and alternative medicine,” he said. “Take care of your health. Your boy ain’t going nowhere though. We’re gonna keep doing this. Keep rocking with us. #RaiseTheBar #CombatCancer Let’s Go!”’

A native of Brooklyn, Ossé graduated from Cornell University and Georgetown University Law Center, according to Pitchfork. He spent 12 years as an entertainment lawyer, representing clients like Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records.

He also served as the managing editor for The Source, a popular hip-hop magazine, and wrote the 2006 book Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book, which documented the significance of jewelry in the musical art form.

In 2013, he cofounded the Loud Speakers Networks, a family of podcasts that includes The Read, The Friend Zone and The Brilliant Idiots.

According to Variety, Ossé is survived by his wife and three children.

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