Who was Dallas Penn? Former Combat Jack Show host dies weeks after being moved to ICU

Dallas Penn, the former Combat Jack Show co-host and writer, was announced dead on May 1, 2024. His wife, who goes by the name Chocolate Snowflake (C.S), revealed the news on Penn’s personal Facebook page, saying:

“Dallas has ascended to the music that was waiting for him. From September 1970 to April 2024, he always said it don’t stop, it won’t stop, and he’s waiting for us all at the Funkadelic Stevie Wonder Sean Price party in the sky. Rest my love, and see you in our other lifetimes.”

Born in September 1970, Dallas Penn is an urban fashion and internet icon and journalist from New York. The cause of his death has not yet been revealed; however, Penn was reportedly in the ICU in the days before his death.

---

Dallas Penn was drawn to fashion as a high schooler in 1984

In a 2014 interview with Complex, Dallas Penn explained how he developed his love for fashion in 1984 as a high school student.

“I’ve given my life up to rocking fly sh*t. It really started for me in high school when I stopped spending all my money on comic books and got into copping gear,” he said.

He eventually joined the Lo Life Crew, known for their ardent love for Ralph Lauren’s Polo brand, and began boosting pieces out of their stores. Later, he launched his blog, which he merged with the late Reginald Joseph Ossé, aka Combat Jack, and became the co-host of The Combat Jack Show in 2010.

The show, which aired on Complex, is described on their website as “the undisputed #1 HipHop podcast” featuring interviews with “Hip Hop icons & priceless conversations about music, news, race, and more.”

Penn has often talked about his love for Polo, Guess, Reebok, and Timberland, calling the brands his “high school staples.” He had a special affinity for Polo rugby, dubbing it “timeless.”

"The Polo rugby was harder than anything anyone has ever made. The color palette just popped off the shirt and those crests just signified luxury to a working class kid like myself. I really haven’t deviated from the brand too much since the mid-’80s. Yeah, I’ve bought all kinds of crap that fell under the auspices of hip-hop clothing but none of that sh*t was as timeless as Polo RL was/is,” he explained.

Not much is known regarding Dallas Penn's personal life. It is unclear when he and his wife got married.

---

Dallas Penn shared his health updates on Facebook

According to All Hip Hop, Dallas Penn, 54, kept updating his fans about his health on Facebook. On April 15, he posted that he was back in the hospital.

On April 19, Dallas Penn posted that he experienced a "fatal bowel perforation" and was enrolled in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Dallas Penn, who was diabetic, also revealed that his kidneys had shut down due to his latest health complication.

"I’m enrolled in the WTC health program which tracks the various acute ailments being suffererd by the folks exposed within the pit. In the last few days I experienced what should have been a fatal bowel perforation. The opening was larger than a quarter and leaking gas, fluids and waste material thru my gutular setup.

"My kidneys shut down. They stopped completely. My blood pressure sank and my heart was packing it’s bag. I looked towards my wife one last time and I promised her I would find her in the multiverse. C.S. said eff the MCU, I’m going to see you in the ICU. Then she put me in the care of a trusted physician who held my hand as I crossed thru the dark side."

In subsequent posts, he revealed that he had been shifted to the Intensive care Unit (ICU). One of the posts tagged Mount Sinai Hospital in New York as the location. Dallas Penn was active on Facebook until April 30.