American rapper, Fatman Scoop, has died after he collapsed during a concert on Friday night in Connecticut.
His family confirmed his death in an Instagram post on Saturday, 31st August. He was 53 years old.
“It is with profound sadness and very heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of the legendary and iconic FatMan Scoop,” a post on his Instagram page read. “Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life.”
The rapper and hype man, whose real name is Isaac Freeman III, was performing at the Green and Gold Party summer concert in Hamden, approximately six miles from New Haven, when he experienced a medical emergency on stage.
He was seen collapsing on stage as he walked behind a DJ booth. While those nearby attempted to administer CPR to the performer, his hype men endeavoured to calm the crowd by playing additional songs.
In a statement on Saturday, the town’s mayor, Lauren Garrett, expressed gratitude to the members of the crowd and paramedics who tried to perform life-saving measures.
“On behalf of the Town of Hamden, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Isaac Freeman, known as Fatman Scoop,” she posted on Facebook. “He was a wonderful performer with a wide following as evidenced by the thousands of fans that came to see what would be his last performance at Hamden Town Center Park.”
The mayor stated that grief counselling services would be available for community members.
Scoop, whose legal name is Isaac Freeman III, has been recognised as an influential figure in New York City’s hip-hop scene during the 1990s.
He has appeared on popular songs, including the Grammy Award-winning “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott and “It’s Like That” by Mariah Carey.
Scoop is also renowned for his sleeper hit “Be Faithful,” which was originally released in 1999 but achieved international success in 2003, topping the charts in Ireland and the UK.
In 2004, the rapper featured in the UK television series “Chancers” on Channel 4, where musicians mentored aspiring UK artists aiming for success in the US.
Fatman Scoop was also a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother 16: UK vs USA,” which took place in the UK and aired in 2015. He was the third housemate to be evicted.
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