US rapper Fatman Scoop dies at age 53 while performing on stage

Fatman Scoop the hiphop artist who topped charts in Europe with Be Faithful in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by artists including Missy Elliott and Ciara died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut according to officials and his family He was 53The cause of his death wasnt immediately clearHe was performing at Hamden Town Center Park when he collapsed Friday evening town chief of staff Sean Grace said 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 saidHis family said in an Instagram post that the world lost a radiant soul a beacon on stage and in lifeWith a gravelly voice and dancefloorfriendly sensibility Fatman Scoop was a mainstay of club playlists around the turn of the millennium But if the world knew him as the voice of the club his family cherished him as the laughter in our lives a constant source of support unwavering strength and courage his relatives saidHis 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 added saying he leaves a legacy of love and brightnessBorn Isaac Freeman III Fatman Scoop was from New York Citys Harlem neighbourhood and broke out with 1999s Be Faithful What started as a minor success in the US took off in Europe with a 2003 rerelease hitting No 1 on the singles charts in the UK and IrelandThe next year he appeared on the UK television series Chancers in which musicians mentored artists who wanted to make it in the US the BBC reported He also was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother 16 UK vs USA which was filmed in the UK and aired in 2015Scoopmdashsometimes stylized as Fat Man Scoop or FatMan Scoopmdashcollaborated with Elliott on Lose Control a 2005 song of the summer that also featured Ciara The track won a shortform music video Grammy at the 2006 award showThe same year as Lose Control he was featured on Mariah Careys Its Like That 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 latters Level UpElliott praised Scoops VOICE and energy Saturday on X saying he had contributed to many songs that made people happy over more than two decadesYour IMPACT is HUGE amp will NEVER be forgotten she addedHis 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 industryHis MN2S representative Sharron Elkabas said in a statement Saturday that she had spoken to him a few days earlierHe was in such good spirits Its hard to believe he is no longer with us she said