Snoop Dogg announced his brother’s death on Friday through a series of posts dedicated to the late Bing Worthington’s memory.
“@badabing33 always made us laugh,” the rapper captioned one post, a video of the two of them chatting with friends in a cemetery. “u bac with moms,” he wrote, adding hearts, prayer hands, and a single tear emoji. He also posted a photo of Worthington with a cake for their mother, Beverly Tate, who died in 2021.
Worthington, 44, for years worked in multiple business roles supporting his famous brother, from selling Snoop-branded skateboards to managing Snoop’s tours. But he also launched his own venture with the merger of Dogg Records and the Canadian label Urban Heat Legends. He also dabbled as a rapper himself, releasing an album with the group Lifestyle in 2003, but decided he preferred backstage roles where he could work with Snoop.
“I love meeting people, talking business, that got me going,” Worthington told Vice in 2016. “That made me feel like another person.”
He said that he felt “blessed” to have taken on so many roles during his career, and credited his brother with pushing him to grow as an entrepreneur.
“I worked my way to the top,” Worthington said. “Even though I’m his brother he didn’t give me a top-ranked position. You can’t just become a president without knowing anything about being the president. You have to learn.”