U.S. rapper Craig Mack has died at the age of 46, according to reports.

The hip-hop star rose to fame in 1994 with the hit single “Flava in Ya Ear,” and was the first artist to release an album on P Diddy’s Bad Boy Records.

After splitting with Diddy, he released a second album, “Operation: Get Down,” but eventually left music and devoted his life to religion.

According to the New York Daily News, Mack died of heart failure in hospital near his home in South Carolina on Monday.

“Flava in Ya Ear” was certified platinum and nominated for a Grammy the following year, while the follow-up single, “Get Down,” went gold. (SD-Agencies)