Rapper Fatman Scoop dies after collapsing on stage during performance

HAMDEN, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - Rapper Fatman Scoop suffered a medical emergency during a performance in Connecticut Friday evening and later died at the hospital.

He was 56 years old.

The artist, whose real name is Isaac Freeman III, was performing at the Town Center Park in Hamden, Connecticut, when he collapsed on stage, according to the BBC.

He was then transported to a local hospital, Sean Grace, the chief of staff for the town of Hamden, said.

Birch Michael, identified as Scoop’s tour manager of seven years, confirmed his death on Facebook early Saturday morning.

“You taught me how to be the Man I am today,” Michael said in his post.

Scoop’s family posted an official statement on the rapper’s Instagram. In it, they call him a “beacon of light on the stage and in life.”

“FatMan Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club,” the statement reads in part. “His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity.”

The cause of his death has not been released.

Scoop was performing in Hamden as part of the summer concert series.

The event began at 7:15 p.m. and featured Scoop among other artists.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett released a statement offering her condolences to the rapper’s family and friends.

“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,” she said in the statement.

According to the BBC, Scoop has been credited with being “an influential figure in New York City’s hip-hop scene in the 1990s.”

An Associated Press report said he first broke out with his sleeper hit “Be Faithul” in 1999. While it had minor success in the U.S., a re-release of it in 2003 took off in Europe, hitting No. 1 on the singles charts in the U.K. and Ireland.

Scoop is best known for his feature role in Miss Elliot’s Grammy-winning “Lose Control”, the song of the summer in 2005 that also featured Ciara.

He was also featured in Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That” and was featured on tracks from Timbaland, David Guetta, The Situation and Skrillex.

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An earlier version of this report had an incorrect age for Fatman Scoop.

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