Snoop Dogg's brother, music executive Bing Worthington Jr., dead at 44

Snoop Dogg's younger brother Bing Worthington is dead, the rapper said Friday on Instagram.

The 44-year-old died Thursday, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department in California, which runs the area medical examiner's office.

"The cause of death will be pending the results of the toxicology and autopsy report," Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said by email.

Snoop hired his brother to work on high-profile projects, and he rose through the ranks of the rapper's entourage to become a tour manager and then the executive producer at the record label that bears his nickname.

Speaking to the publication Vice in 2016, Worthington said, "I was just the road guy. I worked my way to the top."

He told the publication he had a hand in multiple endeavors launched under his brother's branding, including skateboard deck-maker Snoop Dogg Board Company in the mid-2000s and a footlong hot dog startup, Snoop Doggs.

He merged a record label run as part of Snoop's businesses with Quebec-based Urban Heat Legends, whose chief, Miguel Lopez, was a friend, according to the resulting label, Dogg Records.

The label said on its website that the merged company was the result of "a relationship formed between Bing Worthington (Snoop Dogg's brother)" and Lopez. It aims to "create a platform where West Coast artists meet the North and vice versa," the website stated.

Lopez said Worthington recently went on a family vacation to Jamaica and was uncharacteristically incommunicado. When they merged their labels, Worthington split time between California and Canada, he said, but lately, they coordinated via weekly phone calls that didn't materialize recently.

Following the death of Worthington's and Snoop's mother, Beverly Tate, in 2021, Worthington wasn't himself, Lopez said.

"Its been a tough time since his mom passed," he said. "He took it very hard. He was very close to her."

Worthington executive-produced the birthday party documentary, "Bigg Snoop Dogg: Raw 'N Uncut Vol. 1," released as a video in 2003, according to Hollywood database IMDb.

He also received writing credit for the song "Tha Jump Off," performed by Lifestyle and featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie "Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," according to the database.

Lopez and Worthington were looking forward to launching a Latino division of Dogg Records, he said, and he plans to carry the label forward.

“He had a great heart, and the little things he did were huge things for us, like opening the doors to his family,” Lopez said. “He’s going to be missed as a friend above all. This label has to carry on in his honor.”

He said Worthington is survived by a partner and an adult son.

On his Instagram account on Friday, Snoop tweeted a photo of his brother with the caption “Bac wit momma.”

Fellow celebrities, including actor and singer Tyrese Gibson, responded with condolences. "I’m sorry this happened….. Prayers love and light to you and your family," he said.

Singer Tamar Braxton said, "Sorry for all your Loss Brother."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com