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Combat Jack

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Combat Jack
Born
Reginald Joseph Ossé

(1969-07-08)July 8, 1969
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 2017(2017-12-20) (aged 48)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupations
  • Attorney
  • executive
  • journalist
  • editor
  • podcaster
Years active1989–2017
Children4, including Chi Ossé

Reginald Joseph Ossé (July 8, 1969 – December 20, 2017),[1] known professionally as Combat Jack, was a Haitian-American hip hop music attorney, executive, journalist, editor and podcaster.[2] He was the former managing editor of The Source. He was the host of the podcast The Combat Jack Show and founding partner of the Loud Speakers Network. He was also the host of the Complex TV show version of The Combat Jack Show podcast.

Career

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A first-generation Haitian-American, Ossé was born in Brooklyn, New York[3] on July 8, 1969, and graduated from Cornell University.[1] There at the university, he became a member of Kappa Xi chapter of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. He later received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.[4] He represented hip-hop producers and entertainers, such as Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Roc-a-fella Records, DJ Clark Kent, Nice & Smooth, Capone-N-Noreaga, Deric "D. Dot" Angelettie, Ski Beatz, and others, starting from an internship in legal affairs for Def Jam Recordings[5] in 1989. After 12 years of practicing law in the music industry, he retired and wrote Bling,[6] a book documenting hip-hop's history and fascination with jewelry. He also served as the Vice President of Audio/Music DVD at MTV Networks[7] and later managing editor of The Source.[8] Then with Gimlet Media, a podcast network, he hosted a show called Mogul about the life and death of hip hop executive Chris Lighty.[9][2]

The Combat Jack Show

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Ossé chose the name Combat Jack from the book Generation Kill, initially using it as a pseudonym for commenting on Missouri-based blogger Byron Crawford's site. In August 2010, he launched a podcast by the same name, first aired on PNC Radio.[10] The internet radio show was dedicated to hip hop discussions and interviews. Combat Jack's co-hosts include Dallas Penn, Premium Pete, DJ Benhameen, AKing and Just Blaze.

In 2013, The Combat Jack Show became the flagship of a network of podcasts founded by Ossé known as the Loud Speakers Network,[11] which also includes The Read, hosted by Kid Fury and Crissle,[11] The Brilliant Idiots, and FanBros, hosted by DJ Benhameen.[12]

Over his life, Ossé also blogged for XXL magazine, as well as his own website.

Death

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Combat Jack died at a hospital from colon cancer in Brooklyn on the morning of December 20, 2017,[3][13] two months after announcing he had been diagnosed with the cancer.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Bromwich, Jonah Engel (December 21, 2017). "Combat Jack, Hip-Hop Lawyer Turned Podcast Pioneer, Dies at 53". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Madden, Sidney (December 20, 2017). "Reggie 'Combat Jack' Ossé, Hip-Hop Journalist and Podcaster, Dies at 53". The Record. NPR. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Knopper, Steve (December 20, 2017). "Remembering Reggie 'Combat Jack' Ossé, Who Turned A Passion For Music Into a Pioneering Podcast Career". Billboard.
  4. ^ Westhoff, Ben (March 11, 2015). "Meet Combat Jack: how hip-hop's podcast king gets artists to open up". The Guardian.
  5. ^ Sanchez, Andre (July 4, 2009). "An Interview with Reggie Osse". Limité Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Ossé, Reggie; Tolliver, Gabriel A. (2006). Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN 1582345589.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "The Source Magazine and TheSource.com Announce New Managing Editor". PR Newswire. January 11, 2011.
  9. ^ "Mogul". Gimlet Media. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. ^ Cantor, Paul. "The Story of Combat Jack, Hip-Hop's Flagship Podcaster". Vulture. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Sands, Darren (July 24, 2013). "Kid Fury: The Kid Stays in the Picture: Kid Fury's Journey From YouTuber to Black Twitter Kingmaker - Pop-culture truth-teller rides the podcast wave". The New York Observer. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  12. ^ "Combat Jack – S ∆ M M U S - OFFICIAL". Sammusmusic.com. June 5, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  13. ^ "Hip-Hop Legend Combat Jack Has Died". Spin.com. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  14. ^ Parker, Najja (December 20, 2017). "Fans and celebrities reflect on legacy of Combat Jack after news of his death". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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