The hip-hop community and hundreds of local admirers recently came out to honor the legacy of Grammy Award-winning Harlem native Fatman Scoop at the Apollo Theater, who became an ancestor on Aug. 30 after collapsing onstage during a show in Hamden, Conn. His distinctive voice was featured on tracks like Faith Evans’s “Be Faithful,” and works by artists Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Ciara, Timbaland, David Guetta, and Skrillex.
“His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity,” Scoop’s family posted on Instagram. “His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten. The world lost a radiant soul, a beacon on stage and in life.”
Born Isaac Freeman III in Harlem on Aug. 6, 1968, Scoop began rhyming and DJing as a teen before working promotions at Tommy Boy Records during the early ’90s and became a radio host on Hot 97 FM in 1995. The station described him in an online tribute as a “legendary hype man and radio personality.”
“He’d be coming off his overnight shift and we’d be coming in. He always had good energy,” recalled Star (Timothy Joseph), co-host of the Star & Bucwild Show exclusively to the AmNews. “His records are staples at Black parties, like the ‘Electric Slide’ and ‘Family Reunion.’”
Scoop’s larger-than-life presence, infectious personality, and booming vocals energized the room, earning him the moniker “Voice of the Club,” while his family knew him as “the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength, and courage.”
“I am a disciple of Doug E. Fresh,” Scoop said in a 2023 Urban Politicians TV interview. “He was the neighborhood star. Everything that I learned, pretty much, I learned from Doug.”
Busta Rhymes referred to Scoop as “one of the most beautiful human beings” he ever met: “I’ve never seen him angry, upset, perspire, and worry about things outside of when he was on that stage busting a–.”
LL Cool J, Kid Capri, Treach of Naughty By Nature, Cipha Sounds, DJ SNS, DJ Enough, and DJ Cool were at the Apollo event.
“Fatman Scoop was shaped by the vibrant traditions of the Black church when he first lifted his voice in the youth choir of the Mount Zion AME Church,” said Rev. Kahlil G. James. “It was in that sacred space where he was surrounded by song [that] he discovered the profound power of what our ancestors call ‘the call and response’ — the soulful exchange, rooted in the spirit of the African Griot, the storyteller.”
Describing Scoop as “a true Harlem King,” Teddy Riley said, “I lost a brother, the culture lost a leader, and the world lost a great entertainer. I never heard anyone say they had a problem with Scoop, and that’s incredible in this game,”
Angie Martinez mentioned Scoop’s infectious energy, and added, “He always wanted people to feel encouraged, to have fun, and to live life out loud. I hope that we all take a little piece of that with us,” before running a video montage tribute.
Sway introduced Scoop’s childhood friends, the Executioners, who did a turntable tribute.
DJ Webstar, A$AP Ferg, Ron Brownz, Jim Jones, and Dyce Peso performed a musical medley and talked about how Scoop influenced their lives.
Councilmember Yusef Salaam and Kevin Richardson of the Exonerated Five were also present. “He was a local, New York, and international treasure,” Salaam said of Scoop. “When he spoke at my inauguration, I was so honored and humbled.”
It’s been a heavy season for the music world, with the losses of Scoop, Rich Homie Quan, Frankie Beverly, and Tito Jackson.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of Scoop’s death to be “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”