Fatman Scoop, the rapper who topped charts in Europe with Be Faithful in the early 2000s and later lent his voice to hits by other artists, has died after collapsing on stage at a show, according to officials and his family.
The cause of the 53-year-old’s death wasn’t immediately clear.
He was performing at Hamden Town Center Park in Connecticut, when he collapsed on Friday evening (local time), town chief of staff Sean Grace said on Saturday.
Mayor Lauren Garrett posted on Facebook that he had a medical emergency. Concertgoers and paramedics tried to aid the artist, who was taken to a hospital, she said.
His family confirmed his passing in a statement, posted on Instagram. It said “the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon on stage and in life” who was “legendary and iconic”.
Fatman Scoop was a mainstay of club playlists around the turn of the millennium.
His family cherished him as “the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength and courage”.
“His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten,” they said, adding he leaves a legacy “of love and brightness”.
Born Isaac Freeman III, Fatman Scoop was from New York City’s Harlem neighbourhood and broke out with 1999’s Be Faithful.
What started as a minor success in the United States took off in Europe with a 2003 re-release, hitting No. 1 on the singles charts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
But Scoop — sometimes stylised as Fat Man Scoop or FatMan Scoop — was perhaps best known for his feature role on Elliott’s Lose Control, a 2005 song that also featured Ciara. The track won a short-form music video Grammy at the 2006 award show.
Fatman Scoop pictured arriving at an awards show in 2008. His family confirmed his death, aged 53. Source: AAP / Chris Pizzello/AP
He also was featured on tracks from Timbaland, David Guetta, The Situation and Skrillex, among other artists. In 2018, he reunited with Elliott and Ciara for a remix of the latter’s Level Up.
Elliott praised Scoop’s “VOICE and energy” on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he had contributed to many songs that made people happy over more than two decades.
“Your IMPACT is HUGE & will be NEVER be forgotten,” she said.
His longtime booking agency, MN2S, described him as an artist with “boundless enthusiasm”, a passion for music and a voice and personality that “made an indelible mark on the industry”.
His MN2S representative, Sharron Elkabas, said in a statement she had spoken to him a few days earlier.
“He was in such good spirits. It’s hard to believe he is no longer with us,” she said.
