Rapper Fatman Scoop dies after medical emergency on stage

HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Rapper Isaac Freeman III, popularly known by his stage name Fatman Scoop, has died, according to his tour manager. He was 53 years old.

Fatman Scoop was performing at Hamden Town Center Park in Hamden, Connecticut, when he was transported to the hospital after having a medical emergency on stage, according to Mayor Lauren Garrett.

He was performing as a part of the Hamden Arts Commission Free Summer Concert Series on Friday when he collapsed, town chief of staff Sean Grace said Saturday.

Concertgoers and paramedics tried to aid the artist, who was taken to a hospital, Garrett said.

Fatman Scoop's tour manager later confirmed his death on Facebook.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts I announce the passing of Isaac Freeman III, Known professionally as Fatman Scoop," Birch Michael wrote. "You taught me how to be the Man I am today. I Love you Scoop, Thank you so much for everything you gave to me. Rest In Peace."

The rapper's family said in an Instagram post that “the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon on stage and in life.”

With a gravelly voice and dance-floor-friendly 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 said.

“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 added, saying he leaves a legacy “of love and brightness.”

No additional details about Fatman Scoop's death were released.

Fatman Scoop was from New York City’s Harlem neighborhood and broke out with 1999’s “Be Faithful.” What started as a minor success in the U.S. took off in Europe with a 2003 re-release, hitting No. 1 on the singles charts in the U.K. and Ireland.

The next year, he appeared on the U.K. television series “Chancers,” in which musicians mentored artists who wanted to make it in the U.S., the BBC reported. He also was a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother 16: UK vs USA,” which was filmed in the U.K. and aired in 2015.

Scoop — sometimes stylized as Fat Man Scoop or FatMan Scoop — collaborated with Elliott on “Lose Control,” a 2005 song of the summer that also featured Ciara. The track won a short-form music video Grammy at the 2006 award show.

The same year as “Lose Control,” he was featured on Mariah Carey’s “It’s 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 latter’s “Level Up.”

Elliott praised Scoop's “VOICE and energy” Saturday on X, 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 added.

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 Saturday that 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.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.