FatMan Scoop, the Grammy-winning DJ and hypeman who got fans roaring whether he was performing at a Clippers game or taking the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, died Friday, his family said. He was 53.
The performer, born Isaac Freeman, appears in social media videos collapsing Friday night onstage in Hamden, Conn. The town’s mayor, Lauren Garrett, said audience members and paramedics at Town Center Park attempted “life-saving assistance” to no avail.
On Saturday morning, the Freeman family posted a note to fans on Scoop’s Instagram page that said in part, “Last night the world lost a radiant soul.”
The message added: “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.” The post also noted the loss of Scoop as a “father, brother, uncle and a friend.”
Immediately following the family’s message, tributes poured in from social media accounts from the likes of Missy Elliott and Chuck D, who wrote, “great human being.”
Scoop’s Grammy came at the awards held in 2006. He was among the winners in the short form music video category for “Lose Control,” an Elliott track that featured Scoop and Ciara. He also was featured on Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That” and on tracks from Timbaland, David Guetta and Skrillex, among other artists.
Scoop broke in 1999 with “Be Faithful.” Its 2003 rerelease hit No. 1 on the singles charts in Britain and Ireland. He also was a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother 16: UK vs USA” in 2015.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
