TMZ, who was first to break the news, reports the MTV personality died Tuesday morning at the age of 45. No other information was readily available.
“MTV is deeply saddened to learn the news of Christopher ‘Big Black’ Boykin’s passing,” the network tells E! News in a statement. “He was a long time and beloved member of the MTV family and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends at this time.” Big Black rose to fame as professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek‘s bodyguard on the wildly popular series, which ran for three seasons from 2006-2008. Their onscreen antics, which included breaking multiple Guinness world records, captivated viewers and led to the spin-off series, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.
Related
Peter Sobat
Peter Sobat is a Los Angeles based creative entrepreneur who built his career in television, music videos, and documentaries. He helped develop the hit series Bridezillas, has directing and producing credits on MythBusters, Pimp My Ride, and Trading Spaces, and, as executive producer of Cypress Hill’s BReal TV, created The SmokeBox, which has generated billions of views. His award-winning music videos and documentaries have been shot on six continents for networks including CBS, MTV, ABC, ESPN, FOX, and Discovery, and for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Cypress Hill, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, YG, Nipsey Hussle, and Wu-Tang Clan.
He founded BlurredCulture.com, a culture site that has reached millions of views, and The Bakerie, a cannabis brand that grew to operations in multiple states. Today he runs the Department of Peculiar Ideas (TheDopi.com), a boutique agency creating branding and campaigns for adidas, Nike, Ford, Ram, Japan Airlines, LAFC, Cookies, and High Times.
