Family, friends, and fans are remembering the rapper Fatman Scoop. The rapper whose real name was Isaac Freeman III died after suffering a medical emergency during a concert in Hamden Friday night.
“He was one of a kind. There’s nobody like him. Nobody does it like him,” DJ Bink-B, of New Haven, said.
He will always remember the way rapper Fatman Scoop could work the crowd during a concert.
“Very energetic. His performances were always bright. He could perform with any age group. That’s a good plus for him,” DJ Bink-B said.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Fatman Scoop was performing with him at Hamden Town Center Park as part of the 2024 Hamden Free Summer Concert series Friday night. The crowd enjoying their performance.
“He was having actually having a great show. I actually had to DJ his show for him while he was running around, jumping around on stage,” DJ Bink-B said.
He says when Fatman Scoop went up to the DJ booth, a medical emergency happened.
Local
“He was getting ready to tell me what the next song would be and then he just collapsed,” DJ Bink-B said.
He says there was initial confusion, but Fatman Scoop appeared to still be responsive on the floor.
“He looked out at me and said he was like ‘Bink. Keep the music on. Keep the music on.’ That’s how much he loved entertaining people,” he said.
The rapper was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The next morning, Fatman Scoop’s tour manager and family announced his death.
The Freeman family in a statement saying in part, “The world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life.”
Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett also offering condolences and says the town is offering grief counseling for anyone having a hard time processing the loss.
DJ Bink-B says Fatman Scoop’s death hits very close to home, having performed with him multiple times. He says there is one silver lining.
“He passed away doing exactly what he loved to do. Entertaining the crowd. Being so dedicated to entertaining the crowd,” he said.
There’s still no word on what caused the medical emergency to Fatman Scoop.
