PM Dawn singer dies of kidney disease

Prince Be (Attrell Cordes) of the music group PM Dawn. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Be, who was one half of R&B group PM Dawn, has died at 46.

The rapper - real name Attrell Cordes - succumbed to renal kidney disease in a New Jersey hospital on Friday, according to People magazine.

A post on PM Dawn's Facebook page confirmed the news, which also alluded to Cordes suffering from diabetes.

'Prince Be Rest In Peace Forever More, Pain from diabetes can't harm you anymore, My Heart is at Peace B-Cuz U suffered so long, Tell Grandma I said Hi & Stay Blisstatic & Strong,' the post read.

The heartfelt message was signed 'Love Doc. G', Prince Be's first paternal cousin and another current member of the hip-hop act.

Prince Be started PM Dawn with his brother Jarett Cordes, known as DJ Minutemix, in 1988 in their native Jersey City, New Jersey.

The duo first rose to fame in the 1990s with their chart-topping hit Set Adrift on Memory Bless.

Their 1993 follow-up The Bliss Album...? peaked at No. 30 on the billboard charts and featured I'd Die Without You, which was included in Eddie Murphy's comedy Boomerang.

PM Dawn went on to release five studio albums between 1991 and 2000.

In 2005, Prince Be suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body and one of his legs amputated below the kneecap.

Despite this, PM Dawn went on to win a $20,000 prize for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation with their performance of NBC's competition series Hit Me, Baby, One More Time.

According to People, Prince Be is survived by his wife Mary and three children: Christian, Mia and Brandon.