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FatMan Scoop, Grammy-winning DJ and hypeman, dies after collapsing onstage

FatMan Scoop gestures while wearing a sleeveless T-shirt.
FatMan Scoop at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.
(Chris Pizzello / AP)
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FatMan Scoop, the Grammy-winning DJ and hypeman who got fans roaring whether he was performing at a Clippers game or taking the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, died Friday, his family said.

The performer, born Isaac Freeman, appears in social media videos collapsing Friday night onstage in Hamden, Conn. The town’s mayor, Lauren Garrett, said audience members and paramedics at Town Center Park attempted “life-saving assistance” to no avail.

On Saturday morning, the Freeman family posted a note to fans on Scoop’s Instagram page that said in part, “Last night the world lost a radiant soul.”

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The message added: “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.” The post also noted the loss of Scoop as a “father, brother, uncle and a friend.”

Immediately following the family’s message, tributes poured in from social media accounts from the likes of Missy Elliott and Chuck D, who wrote, “great human being.”

Scoop’s representative, Sharron Elkabas, issued a statement Saturday expressing her shock at the death. “I spoke to him just a few days ago, and he was in such good spirits,” Elkabas said. “It’s hard to believe he is no longer with us.” She also said that after further research, her team had learned that Scoop, was 56, not 53, as previously reported.

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Scoop’s Grammy came at the awards held in 2006. He was among the winners in the short form music video category for “Lose Control,” an Elliott track that featured Scoop and Ciara. He also was featured on Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That” and on tracks from Timbaland, David Guetta and Skrillex, among other artists.

Scoop broke in 1999 with “Be Faithful.” Its 2003 rerelease hit No. 1 on the singles charts in Britain and Ireland. He also was a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother 16: UK vs USA” in 2015.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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