The US rapper Fatman Scoop has died after he collapsed mid-performance during a free concert in Connecticut on Friday night, according to reports.
The New York-born artist, whose real name is Isaac Freeman III, was headlining the so-called Green & Gold Party in Hamden, Connecticut, when he had what was described as a medical emergency. He was seen in a video posted on X to have collapsed behind the DJ booth after urging concertgoers to “make some noise”.
The 53-year-old rapper – best known for his collaborations with Missy Elliott and Ciara on the 2005 hit Lose Control, and on Mariah Carey’s It’s Like That – was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades,” Missy Elliot said in a post on X. “Your IMPACT is HUGE & will be NEVER be forgotten.”
Fatman Scoop had an early hit in the UK and Ireland when a re-release of Be Faithful – which was produced by American hip-hop duo Crooklyn Clan – topped the charts in 2003. It reached the top 10 in Australia and Denmark.
The song, a mashup of Faith Evans’ Love Like This – itself constructed from a looped sample of Chic’s Chic Cheer from 1978 – took years to clear for wide release because it contained numerous additional samples.
Evans later recalled to the Times that her husband, the Notorious BIG, had gone on a trip to St Tropez when someone put on Fatman’s track.
“This lady was really tipsy, and she came up to my husband and said: ‘Man, I love this song – who are they?’ That was the first time we realized how big the record was. It was funny, but it was cool, too – they wouldn’t know me if I was sitting next to them yet they know my song! Now I’m trying to reach people who know that song, and let them know me by my name.”
Fatman Scoop collaborated with a roster of other prominent artists, including Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. In 2004, he was tapped to mentor six British musicians in the UK TV series Chancers. He also appeared in the anime series The Boondocks and opened his own ice-cream parlor.
His booking agent MN2S said: “Scoop was a beloved figure in the music world, whose work was loved by countless fans across the globe. His iconic voice, infectious energy, and great personality made an indelible mark on the industry.”
His death comes 13 months after the Houston rapper Big Pokey died upon collapsing on a stage in a bar in Beaumont, Texas, according to the musician’s publicist. The rap star, best known as part of the Screwed Up Click collective, was 48.
