Christopher “Big Black” Boykin, Rob Dyrdek’s partner in crime and bodyguard on MTV”s Rob & Big, has passed away from a heart attack. He was 45. Big Black’s ex-wife, Shannon Boykin, took over his Twitter and tweeted out confirmation.
This is Shannon, Big Black's ex-wife, I'm heartbroken to tell you of Black's passing. He's everything to me and Isis and we will miss him 💔😢
— Big Black (@BigBlack) May 10, 2017
Big Black starred with Drydek on Rob & Big back in 2006. The show lasted for two seasons. You would always see the two coming up with crazy s**t like parodying Death Row or dressing up as pseudo-models on a cereal box to break into the modeling industry.
After Rob & Big ended, Dyrdek went onto his own Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness shows on MTV. Big Black stopped by a few episodes of each, but they never filmed a complete season again.
Chanel West Coast appeared with Black in a few Fantasy Factory episodes. She Instagrammed out the sadness.
MTV sent out a statement also expressing their condolences (via Variety):
“MTV is deeply saddened to learn the news of Christopher ‘Big Black’ Boykin’s passing…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 and Dyrdek had some friction after the show ended.
“It was a strange period…I had been a pro skateboarder for years, so me transitioning to mainstream fame was relatively smooth, right, where for him, the idea that man he was like working security two years earlier and now he’s on television, it was a much different dynamic. But I think we both struggled with I didn’t want to be known as like Rob from Rob & Big … and I think he didn’t want to be known for like the sidekick. So that created a lot of that tension between me and him.”
It wasn’t money, since Dyrdek says they got paid the same.
“I think it was more the fundamental struggle of wanting to not be so connected to each other. Ultimately, after we had a big blowout creatively over an idea … things were so tense at certain times — it’s funny now that I think about it — but we literally would film some of the funniest things that we have ever done and would be losing it and then walk away and not talk to each other. It was super, super bizarre.”
They seemed to have patched things up as Big Black appeared, as mentioned, on Dyrdek’s other MTV shows.
Dyrdek tweeted out some memories.
My heart is broken. I don't want write this post. I don't want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you. pic.twitter.com/Atp5EE3jX6
— Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek) May 10, 2017
You will forever be in my heart.
— Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek) May 10, 2017
🙏🏼🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/JpUrrHj9Lh
— Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek) May 10, 2017
I am so thankful for this moment… thank you for being an amazing human being and brother. pic.twitter.com/B331OfraKa
— Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek) May 10, 2017
Death is sad.