Craig Mack, rapper known for 'Flava in Ya Ear,' has died in South Carolina

Former rapper Craig Mack, 46, known for "Flava in Ya Ear," died in South Carolina on Monday.

Mack's fame grew on Sean "Diddy" Combs' hip-hop label Bad Boy Records in the mid-90s. He was best known for his 1994 platinum hit "Flava in Ya Ear."

Mack, of Long Island, died of heart failure at a hospital near his home in Walterboro, S.C., Mack's former producer Alvin Toney confirmed to The New York Daily News on Tuesday.

"Flava in Ya Ear" was a top-10 hit in 1994 and sold more than a million copies, Rolling Stone reported.

Mack later left Bad Boy Records. He released "Operation: Get Down" in 1997 and later appeared in Diddy's video "I Need a Girl Part 1," but his career never regained momentum after "Flava in Ya Ear," Rolling Stone said.

Mack left the hip-hop industry to become a minister at Overcomer Ministry Church in Walterboro.

Toney, his former producer, visited Mack last week at the church to film a documentary about him and his decision to leave the music industry for his faith, the Daily News said. During his visit, Mack told Toney he had been sick for some time, according to the report.

Mack is survived by his wife and two adult children.

This story was originally published March 13, 2018 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Craig Mack, rapper known for 'Flava in Ya Ear,' has died in South Carolina."