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Robbie Pardlo, one-third of the R&B trio City High, has died.
TMZ confirms that the seasoned singer passed away on Thursday, July 17, while surrounded by his family and close friends in Willingboro, N.J. He was survived by his wife, Anika Pardlo, their two children, Lyric and Chord-Andrew Pardlo. He also leaves behind his mother, Marion Pardlo, his aunt Cynthia Boyer and his brother, Gregory Pardlo, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and professor. His cause of death has not been revealed, however, his family is currently making funeral arrangements and will announce the plans in the coming days. He was 46.
Robbie Pardlo got his start in the music industry alongside singers Claudette Ortiz and Ryan Toby as the trio City High. Wyclef Jean originally signed Pardlo to his Booga Basement record label before Toby, who had written for artists like Will Smith and starred in Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit, began writing for Pardlo's debut project. Jean suggested they form a group, and later added Ortiz to make the trio known as City High.
The trio's debut single, "What Would You Do?," originally debuted in 1999 as part of the soundtrack for the film Life. The song peaked in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 chart and was later added as the lead single of their debut self-titled album in 2001. "What Would You Do?" even earned the group a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group that same year. The album also featured songs like "Caramel" and the Trackmasters remix featuring Eve, which also landed in the top 20 of the Hot 100.
The group had recorded a second album, but, according to Toby, the project didn't sound as good as the first. The group reportedly agreed to disband. Pardlo continued to make music with the R&B group First Take.
As of this report, neither Claudette Ortiz, Ryan Toby, nor Wyclef Jean has publicly commented on Pardlo's death. May he rest in peace. Watch City High's "Caramel" video below.