Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, a star on the MTV show Rob & Big, passed away Tuesday at the age of 45. TMZ is reporting that the death was caused due to heart failure.
After plainly not thinking about the reality star for a few years, the death hits home awfully hard.
“Big Black” and Rob Dyrdek went around causing tomfoolery wherever they were allowed to be and sometimes not allowed to be. Boykin served as Dyrdek’s bodyguard on the show and his best friend. It often put them in humor-filled situations.
On the show, he often pulled stunts that actually earned him two Guinness World Records. He peeled and ate three bananas in one minute for one record, and set another for most powdered donuts eaten in less than three minutes. (For the record, “Big Black” put down five donuts in two minutes, 45 seconds.)
Boykin is survived by his nine-year-old daughter and ex-wife. The news came as a shock, but then again Boykin has had trouble with his weight. His struggles were well documented on the reality show he starred in from 2006 to 2008. More often than not, his stature was used for comic relief. He oozed charisma without even trying and it is a big reason why the show was so popular.
Boykin and Dyrdek reportedly had a falling out nine years ago causing the reality show to end. In an interview (embedded below), Dyrdek said Boykin didn’t like the role as a sidekick and uneven pay caused by Dyrdek’s role as a producer. The strain was enough to end a show that was immensely popular with their fans.
As Boykin continued to deal with weight issues, even having a defibrillator implanted into his chest, he mostly went back to a normal life. He appeared on Dyrdek’s follow-up show on MTV’s Fantasy Factory and even buried the hatchet with the skateboarder turned mogul.
Whenever anyone dies, we inevitably make it about ourselves and how it affects us. It’s a weird reaction, but it happens time and time again. I remember watching “Big Black” in awe on MTV. He was both kind and funny on the show, while not trying to seem too much like a caricature. Over-the-top antics were always presented, but he nonetheless felt very grounded. I even owned a lot of clothes from Boykin’s apparel line, shouting his signature catch phrase “do work” to anyone that would listen.
As we all get older, so many in our lives end up passing on. Nonetheless, it doesn’t make dealing with the process any less sad. Christopher “Big Black” Boykin left a lasting impact on a generation of people still watching MTV. The laughs he gave his audience will last long after his death and I can’t thank him enough for it.
