Long Island rapper Craig Mack, who found fame as one of Sean "Diddy " Combs's first artists on Bad Boy Entertainment, died in South Carolina Monday at the age of 46.

The “Flava in Ya Ear” hitmaker died of heart failure at a hospital near his Walterboro, S.C., home according to his longtime producer Alvin Toney. “God bless my friend," he said. "He was a good friend of mine.” 

Last week, Toney spent time with Mack in order to film a documentary that would detail Mack's journey from rap to the church. 

“Nobody got to understand his story. I wanted the world to know the talent he had. It was something I wanted people to enjoy, but it was cut short because he was very religious and wanted to go to church,” Toney said.

The New York Daily News reports that Mack did not expect to live long after battling an undisclosed illness. 

In the '90s, Mack met Diddy at the Manhattan club Mecca who promised to sign him if he could freestyle to Mary J. Blige. He did and went on to record his crown jewel, "Flava in Ya Ear," which earned him a 1995 Grammy nomination. The single's remix included one of the first appearances by Biggie Smalls. 

Rap icons and music lovers celebrated Mack for his contribution to the art form. Producer Erick Sermon said that he and Mack were working on an album prior to his death.

Rap icon Biz Markie reminisced about Mack's early days. 

Questlove from the rap supergroup The Roots wrote a touching tribute to Mack. 

Man. To be In hip hop culture & live past the age of 50 is a fight to the finish for real. All due respect to #CraigMack. For some reason w exception of a RARE few, like #ProtectYaNeck, #ScenarioRemix —maybe #ShutEmDown remix—-I kinda think #FlavaInYaEar was the hip hop freestylers’ 1st viral instrumental choice. I mean there was always the lunchroom desk & beatboxing. But hip hop really didn’t do straight up instrumentals til like—1988/1989 on 12 inches (lots of DUBS, kinda there to assist mc’s in concert spitting verses w vocal guides?) but I’m just saying the weekend Flava came out I NEVER heard a dj play a joint like 7 times in a row (rare times were #RebelWithoutAPause & #IKnowYouGotSoul) but this was different: 1st of all this single slowed the east coast down DRASTICALLY (1987-1993 east coast was HYPED! on 100bpm-115bpm)—-Flavor was the sound of weed. Not the previous panic crack era music. Like 93 bpms—just perfect to kick a Freestyle: sparse in arrangement & foooonky—-it’s weird that the flagship song of such a commercial radio dominated label was one of the grimiest underground joints ever. I was actually in London at the time when dj 279 premiered that joint at a party. He played that instrumental like 20 mins straight and I saw like 9 simultaneous ciphers happening in the club. Man I was jealous of that beat. I know #Juicy wound up the winner in that race but man we cannot forget one of the greatest hip hop single debuts in the culture. That song was the gym routine mc’s brushed their skills on. All due respect to brother Craig Mack w/o him & his cant lose single who knows what empire #BadBoy woulda become. Rest In Peace Boyeeeeee.

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Mack is survived by his wife and two adult children.

Rest in peace. 

Craig MackCraig Mack dead