Christopher "Big Black" Boykin made an indelible impression on everybody who knew him or watched his exploits every week on MTV. Sadly, the legend passed away on Tuesday, as first reported by TMZ. "Big Black" was just 45 years old. An official cause of death has not yet been revealed, although early indications suggest a heart attack was the likely reason for death.
Reality television exploits
"Big Black" rose to fame on the television show "Rob & Big," where he served as the best friend and bodyguard of Rob Dyrdek. The show ran from 2006 to 2008.
On the show, he became well-known for attempting to break Guinness world records, such as the most bananas peeled and eaten in under a minute and the most powdered doughnuts consumed in less than three minutes. He also became known for his motto - "Do Work" - which followed him around throughout his personal and professional life.
The two reunited for the show "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" in 2011. He also made appearances on "Ridiculousness," "MTV Guy Code," and "MTV Snack-Off." The two bonded over their love of humor and skateboards, consistently skating everywhere they went on the shows. "Big Black" was part of the comic relief for the television shows, largely as a result of his threatening size but relatively light-hearted personality.
Unfortunately, falling out eventually occurred between him and Dydrek.
Falling out
While shooting their show, the relationship between "Big Black" and Rob Dydrek deteriorated to a point where the two weren't even friends. "Big Black" eventually left the show for personal reasons, which helped lead to its cancellation. It took a long time, but the two eventually managed to repair their friendship.
"Big Black" had even posted as recently as a couple of months ago on social media to show that the two were back on good terms.
Christopher "Big Black" Boykin was far more than a reality television personality, though. He was a soldier, serving in the United States Navy before his television appearances. He was a businessman, serving as the CEO of his clothing line, "Big Black (Do Work)."
He was also a father, leaving behind a nine-year-old daughter upon his passing.
While he wasn't out in public as much as he was during his reality television heyday almost a decade ago, "Big Black" will still be missed by the MTV community, the skateboarding community, and fans of his work with friend Rob Dydrek.
