Hip-hop journalist and podcaster Reggie Ossé, better known as Combat Jack, has reportedly died after months of fighting colon cancer. He was 48.
In October, Ossé explained why he didn’t appear on “The Return of Redman & Just Blaze” episode of The Combat Jack Show. Before the episode started, he shared that he was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to undergo a major surgery.
“A couple weeks ago I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was rushed to the hospital. I had some severe surgery. I’m on the mend right now,” he said. “I’m about to jump on the journey to health with chemo. I’ll probably do some live alternative health as well so I don’t get caught up in that. I say that to say, take care of your health.”
AKing made the initial announcement about Ossé’s health in a press release:
The first post he shared during his chemotherapy was a message from LL Cool J telling him to knock out cancer.
About a month later, Ossé provided an update on his condition, writing, “Today I’m still on the mend. Walking is tough bc I lose my breath. But it’s a process. Lost all my weight and muscle. Still, wanted to let y’all know the progress and my focus to #CombatCancer. Thank you All for your endless support!”
In December, he shared another progress update. "Blood work feeling soooooo refreshing. #CombatCancer," he wrote.
Earlier this week, Premium Pete tweeted that he was heavily thinking of Ossé. He and Ossé co-hosted The Combat Jack Show before starting his own podcast.
I appreciate all the bornday love and blessings 🙏🏽🎂 but on this day I’m heavily thinking of my brother @Combat_Jack I love you Reggie you’ve always been a big brother to me. We done so much together and all I want is GOD to do so much for you. Your loved just know that 🌹❤️ pic.twitter.com/WZlbw5jIg0 — Premium Pete (@PremiumPete) December 17, 2017
Upon hearing the news of Ossé’s death, fans and members of the hip-hop industry praised him for his contributions.
Hip Hop has lost one of its most important historians and voices... we had serious ups and downs but I was so happy we had made things good... Rest In Peace to my friend Combat Jack.... — Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) December 20, 2017
reggie osse was one of the smartest and most helpful ppl i met in this game. he was my listener and i was his. and i hate to know he’s gone. r.i.p., @combat_jack. — El Flaco (@bomani_jones) December 20, 2017
Heartbreaking. RIP Reggie "Combat Jack" Osse. Great man, storyteller and leader. Your contributions to hip hop will never ever be forgotten. Ultimate salute. pic.twitter.com/McK0F9TvYp — Elliott Wilson (@ElliottWilson) December 20, 2017
Damn. Rest In Peace Combat Jack. Combat was a living history book for hip hop and was always down to share that information. More importantly, he was kind. We need more of that. And his presence will be missed deeply, but he’ll never be absent. — brandon / jinx (@Jersey_Jinx) December 20, 2017
R.I.P. to the legend @Combat_Jack. Great, great guy.
life is short. — Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) December 20, 2017
My heart is broken. Combat Jack was one of the kindest, most incredible people I knew. I tried to hire him 10x over the years, but he was smart enough to keep building his own empire. I loved that dude...I will really miss him. Thanks Reggie for your mentorship + friendship. RIP pic.twitter.com/XhWv7YaLEh — Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) December 20, 2017
Rest In Peace to Reggie Ossé; a real friend and a constant inspiration. Love you forever Combat Jack! — Rob Markman (@RobMarkman) December 20, 2017
Can't understate Combat Jack's impact. A very sharp dude who pioneered this rap podcast shit. RIP. — K. (@ThatPersianGuy) December 20, 2017
Mannn @Combat_Jack was a PIONEER for hip-hop podcasters everywhere. A true voice for the culture when our voices weren’t heard. Words can’t describe how much we’ll miss him and the @CombatJackShow. — Tony M Centeno 🎧✍🏽 (@_tonyMC) December 20, 2017
I broke down on the train hearing the news about Combat Jack. He’s been a friend and a supporter for years. A guiding light for many. One of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. This fucking hurts. Fuck cancer. — Ben Frank (@BenFrankIV) December 20, 2017
RIP Combat Jack, who let us into his family and onto his podcast, who brought donuts to our apartment and carried stories for days. He left the Lil B show screaming "swag!" and saying he'd seen the future. A great laugh, a great mind, a great friend and a better man. — ItsTheReal (@itsthereal) December 20, 2017
RIP to Combat Jack. I don't have the words. Yet. Gonna go take a walk. — David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) December 20, 2017
When you can physically feel the impact someone has on the culture, you know it’s real. Combat’s aura & words resonated across generations of hip-hop, especially in the podcast game. If you had one conversation with him, you were better because of it. Rest well, @Combat_Jack 🙏🏽 — Jeff J. (@JeffJSays) December 20, 2017
RIP Combat Jack. No words suffice to capture the multitudes he possessed. A rap encyclopedia who could spin stories about both Bronx block parties & the Paradise Garage. A brilliant interviewer & attorney. A kind gentle soul who understood & cared about the culture like no other. — Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) December 20, 2017
At a loss for words. Rest In Peace to Combat Jack, one of the most incredible individuals I’ve ever known — Karen Civil (@KarenCivil) December 20, 2017
Action Bronson, Alchemist, and other artists paid their respects to Ossé as well.
DAMN MAN REST IN PEACE TO MY BROTHER @Combat_Jack ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO EVER EMBRACE ME IN THIS WHOLE SHIT. MY HEART IS HEAVY MAN FUCK. LOVE ALWAYS. — FUCK THATS DELICIOUS (@ActionBronson) December 20, 2017
Hip Hop lost a major voice today. RIP Combat Jack 🙏🏼 — Emanny (@theonlyemanny) December 20, 2017
Rest in peace Combat Jack. — Alchemist (@Alchemist) December 20, 2017
RIP Combat Jack, always supportive, genuine and kind — N*I*C*K (@catchdini) December 20, 2017
Ossé's last post on Instagram was a tribute to Brooklyn-based entertainment attorney Ed Woods, whose client roster included Diddy, Usher, Allen Iverson, DMX, Stephanie Mills, Jay Z, and Kelly Price.
Ossé’s career included a stint as a hip-hop music attorney and executive and the former managing editor of The Source before building his own brand with The Combat Jack Show. For Complex, Ossé hosted his own version of his podcast for television, a weekly 12-episode series that launched in April 2013.
Reggie Ossé, host of hip-hop podcast “The Combat Jack Show,” has died at the age of 48, as confirmed by NPR. In October, he announced that he was recovering from surgery for colon cancer. Ossé’s “Combat Jack Show” podcast has been running for over seven years. Launched as an internet radio show, it featured prestigious hip-hip figures discussing “music, news, race, and more.” Guests include Common, Redman, Scarface, RZA, Ice Cube, and many others.
Ossé graduated from Cornell University and later received his law degree at Georgetown University Law Center. After interning at Def Jam, he went on to work as an entertainment lawyer for 12 years; his clients included JAY-Z, Damon Dash, Roc-A-Fella Records, and more. In 2009, Ossé began writing under the Combat Jack moniker for his Daily Mathematics blog. He later contributed to Complex and XXL and became the managing editor for The Source. He launched the “Combat Jack Show” in 2010, and the program served as a staple in New York’s hip-hop community. In 2006, Ossé wrote Bling, a book documenting jewelry’s importance within hip-hop culture and history.
Tributes are beginning to pour in for hip hop icon Combat Jack, who succumbed to colon cancer at age 48.
The former Def Jam Records attorney, whose real name was Reggie Osse, announced that he was battling cancer in October and made his final Instagram post on Sunday.
Upon learning the news, friend LL Cool J, 49, wrote: 'Rest in power @reggieosse you represented #hiphop culture well. You fought the good fight. I salute you.'
RIP: Tributes are beginning to pour in for hip hop icon Combat Jack, who succumbed to colon cancer on Wednesday at age 48
Combat hosted a popular hip hop podcast The Combat Jack Show and also its TV version.
The former managing editor of music magazine The Source was lauded by hip hop artists following his death on Wednesday.
Fugees member Wyclef Jean, 48, posted to his Instagram account: 'To my Haitian brother #combatjack may your soul forever Rest In Peace u was and will always be a great inspiration to me'.
Icon: Combat hosted a popular hip hop podcast The Combat Jack Show and also its TV version
Famous friends: Fugees member Wyclef Jean, 48, posted to his Instagram account: 'To my Haitian brother #combatjack may your soul forever Rest In Peace'
Tribute: Wyclef Jean praised the hip hop icon
'I salute you': LL Cool J also gave his condolences
Meanwhile, star of the Starz drama Power, Naturi Naughton, 33, also mourned the loss of the hip hop icon.
The 3LW singer took to Instagram on Wednesday to praise Combat, writing:
'Thank you #combatjack 4 giving me an opportunity to tell my story on your show! One of the best interviews I’ve EVER had'.
Combat Jack Show host Reggie Ossé died this morning at a Brooklyn hospital of colon cancer, sources confirmed to Billboard, after transforming himself from hip-hop lawyer into one of the music industry's most successful pioneers in podcasting. Despite reports that Ossé was 48, he told Billboard this year he was in his early 50s.
"He was known as an attorney, but he had the soul of an artist," says Chris Morrow, co-founder and CEO of Loud Speakers Network, which produced Ossé's show. "Reggie's always been a talker. There's a role for that in law. But it really blossomed when he decided to become a creator."
After doing legal work for high-profile clients such as Jay-Z and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Ossé burned out on the business side and switched to podcasting in 2010 -- and, over time, developed a Howard Stern-like studio crew that drew big-name interviews with artists such as Ice Cube, LL Cool J and members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
"It was a way for me to start recording a show with my friends. It became like a private space with other people. It was very cathartic," Ossé told Billboard in an interview in September, much of which has been previously unpublished. "[There] was no thought about making a living out of it, as much as, 'How could I compress from all the stress, and especially the corporate PTSD, I developed from years in the music industry?' ... I just knew in my gut it was going to turn into something."
Premium Pete, a Combat Jack Show regular, credits Ossé as the first hip-hop podcast host to land top stars and present interviews in a professional way. "Nobody was doing what we were doing. We sat down with D-Nice, Ice-T. Chuck D for four hours," he says, comparing Combat Jack to earlier hip-hop podcasts by established radio DJs in New York. "[Those DJs] were on Hot 97. How hard is it to take somebody from a morning show into another room and do a [podcast] episode? We had to build up. We used our connections."
Born in Brooklyn to a mother who was a Haitian immigrant, Ossé fell in love with hip-hop at an early age. He lacked musical talent, however, so he drifted into law, attempting to be close to the culture without actually performing. (Although he did appear in 3rd Bass' classic "The Gas Face" video.) "He conceded in later years, the whole reason he wanted to do it was to be around the music, and he couldn't rap," Morrow says.
Ossé attended Cornell University, then Georgetown Law School, and worked in the business and legal affairs department for influential hip-hop label Def Jam Records. Later, he formed a law firm with fellow attorney Ed Woods, who, in a tragic coincidence, died earlier this week. Ossé represented key figures such as Damon Dash, who co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay-Z, as well as members of Combs' Hitmen production crew.
He stopped seeing clients in 2004 and switched to more creative endeavors, including a blog about his favorite music and a book called Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book. But it wasn't until he discovered podcasting that he made his post-law career click, as he applied his gift of gab and easy manner with celebrities to a talk-show format. The show became the flagship of a new podcast network, Loud Speakers, drawing hundreds of thousands of listeners as well as major advertisers, and led to spin-off shows such as Fan Bros and In the Mix, some of which have drawn as many as 600,000 listeners per episode.
"He was comfortable having bookish, intellectual conversations, and he was comfortable having conversations with street guys," Morrow says. "He could go either way and be authentic with it. People could connect with him from a lot of walks of life."
The Combat Jack Show recently spun off an acclaimed, multi-part investigative series on late 50 Cent and Mariah Carey manager Chris Lighty. Mogul, a 60 Minutes-style story, inspired Ossé to create more unexpected podcast content. "I get caught up in the hype," he told Billboard. "There was a point we were No. 2 on Apple Podcast, and the only show in our path was Malcolm Gladwell -- I became so concerned with getting that No. 1 spot. . . . You want to be No. 1, but at the end of the day, what did it mean?"
About a month after speaking to Billboard, Ossé announced he had colon cancer. ("I got hit with some real life shit.") He made no reference to illness during his interview with Billboard. "I have to strike when this is hot," he said at the time about his growing podcast empire. "As a matter of fact, I feel forced to go harder."
