Bigga Rankin, the Jacksonville DJ and A&R credited with helping launch the careers of Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, Plies, Yo Gotti and T.I., has died at 50. His family confirmed his passing in a statement shared Monday, July 20, saying the "patriarch of our family" died that morning and asking for privacy as they grieve. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Just last month, Rankin had spoken publicly about recent health struggles, telling News4Jax he had lost a kidney and was undergoing dialysis. It's unclear whether those struggles were connected to his passing.
Born Billy Plummer, Rankin spent more than three decades building a reputation as one of the South's most trusted tastemakers, using his mixtape series to introduce artists to audiences long before major labels came calling. He also served as an A&R for Think It's A Game Records and vice president of the Hittmenn DJs.
Tributes poured in from across the industry, including Rick Ross, Bun B and Mia X. But those close to him remember more than his ear for talent - they remember a man who spoke openly about faith shaping how he moved through the industry.
In a January 2025 appearance on the "Big Facts" podcast, Rankin described being pronounced dead as a four-month-old infant during a severe illness, before recovering. "I just felt like I came here for something," he said, adding that the experience pushed him toward reading Scripture to make peace with mortality: "You got a birthday and expiration day, right - you just don't know where the expiration date is." He also credited his generosity toward young artists to a simple belief: "I get my blessing from God. I'm from no man. Can't no man bless me."
Rankin leaves behind a legacy that reshaped independent hip-hop promotion - and, by his own account, a life he believed was never entirely his own to explain.
