Missy Elliott, Questlove and Ludacris are among the music legends who have paid tribute to Fatman Scoop, the Grammy-winning DJ and publicist who died Friday after collapsing during a performance.
Fatman Scoop, real name Isaac Freeman III, collapsed Friday while performing in Connecticut. His family announced his death Saturday morning, but did not provide a cause.
On Instagram, Questlove posted a lengthy tribute to the DJ, writing, “I want to thank Fatman Scoop for being the embodiment of what hip hop was truly about. Forgetting your problems, living in the moment, and letting the joy in.”
He dedicated the tribute “on behalf” of a long list of groups, including “everyone who procreates after a night of partying at the disco,” “every human being whose hands have the ability to lift themselves,” and “EVERY DJ who needed to add some adrenaline-pumping music to the punch to INSTANTLY kick the energy up from a 3 to well beyond a Spinal Tap 11.”
Missy Elliott, who Freeman collaborated with on the 2005 Grammy-winning track “Lose Control,” also honored the DJ's memory with “prayers for Fatman Scoop's family for STRENGTH during this difficult time.”
“Fatman Scoop’s VOICE and energy have contributed to SO MANY songs that have made people HAPPY and want to DANCE for over 2 decades every time they hear them… His IMPACT is HUGE and will NEVER be forgotten,” added Elliott.
Ludacris wrote that “Scoop was one of those people who reminded you what the word LOVE truly means. It is an ACTION, and with his ACTIONS he exuded the PUREST form of Passion for HIP HOP. Every human he came in contact with felt that LOVE and PASSION. THIS is the type of LEGACY we ALL should continue from here on out into ETERNITY.”
DJ D-Nice also posted a tribute, saying “he was always kind to me. This is a major loss for the culture. My condolences to all his loved ones.”
Freeman is best known for his 1999 track “Be Faithful.” He was also featured on Missy Elliott's 2005 “Lose Control,” for which he won a Grammy. That same year, he appeared on Mariah Carey's “It's Like That.”
Freeman and Dyce Payso had just premiered the official music video for their new song, “Let It Go,” on Friday morning. Payso wrote on Instagram that she was “speechless” about Freeman's death.
“We were just together a couple weeks ago shooting our video. You said you would fly just for me and thinking about it now I'm so grateful that I had that time and that I got to do something so amazing and crazy. Thank you for being my friend, a Big Brother, a mentor and for being a part of my music. This is my biggest record and I'm so honored and grateful that it was with you. These are the best memories of you that I will cherish forever. II [sic] I promise to keep your spirit alive. RIP Fatman Scoop!”
Freeman's family referred to him as “a radiant soul, a beacon of light on stage and in life” who, in addition to being a “world-renowned artist,” was also “a father, a brother, an uncle and a friend.”
“He was the laugh of our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength and courage,” they continued. “FatMan Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club. His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was contagious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”