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Cause of death for Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop ‘pending’ in CT

Cause of death for Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop ‘pending’ in CT

By Staff report and The Associated Press
UPDATED: September 5, 2024, at 12:04 p.m.

The cause of the death of Isaac Freeman III, also known as Fatman Scoop, has not yet been determined, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The hip-hop artist died after collapsing at a concert in Connecticut Friday, August 30. He was 56.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Thursday said Scoop’s cause of death remains “pending further study.” This means further tests will be performed.

Scoop was performing at the Town Center Park in Hamden when he collapsed. The incident was captured on video.

Scoop’s tour manager posted about the musician’s death on Instagram earlier the day after his death: “It is with the heaviest of hearts I announce the passing of Isaac Freeman III, Known professionally as Fatman Scoop.”

Reminisce Festival also posted on Scoop’s passing via Instagram: “It is with the deepest sorrow that we at Reminisce have received the devastating news of the tragic passing of the legendary Isaac Freeman III, known to us all as Fatman Scoop. This loss has left us all heartbroken.”

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett released a statement Saturday, Aug. 31 as well, saying “On behalf of the Town of Hamden, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Isaac Freeman, known as Fatman Scoop. He was a wonderful performer with a wide following as evidenced by the thousands of fans that came to see what his last performance at Hamden Town Center Park would be.”

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

Fatman Scoop performs during Fridays Live ’23 at Rod Laver Arena on Nov. 10, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Naomi Rahim/Wire Image)

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.”

Born Isaac Freeman III, 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.

Associated Press writer Mallika Sen contributed to this report.