Attrell Cordes performs on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in June 1993.

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Cordes, nicknamed Prince Be, was one of two brothers in P.M. Dawn

The group's music was big in the 1990s

CNN  — 

Singer Attrell Cordes of the music duo P.M. Dawn has died, the group said in a statement.

He was 46.

The singer and rapper, whose stage name was Prince Be, was one of two brothers who made up the R&B group.

He died Friday after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to the group.

“With profound sadness, the driving force of P.M. Dawn … has passed,” it said. Cordes was hospitalized in his home state of New Jersey, where he died.

Attrell and Jarrett Cordes formed the group in the late 1980s, describing its name as a nod to the fact that the darkest hour comes just before the light.

P.M. Dawn’s music was big in the 1990s, and includes hits such as “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” and “I’d Die Without You.”

CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed to this report