Hip-hop legend Fatman Scoop leaves legacy of joy and music

NEW YORK (AP):

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."

The hip-hop artiste, who topped charts in Europe with Be Faithful in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by artistes including Missy Elliott and Ciara, died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut, according to officials and his family. He was 53.

He was performing at Hamden Town Center Park when he collapsed on Friday evening, town chief of staff Sean Grace said on Saturday. Mayor Lauren Garrett posted on Facebook that he had a medical emergency. Concertgoers and paramedics tried to aid the artiste, who was taken to a hospital, she said.

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

Scoop -- sometimes stylised 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 artistes. In 2018, he reunited with Elliott and Ciara for a remix of the latter's Level Up.

Elliott praised Scoop's "VOICE and energy" on 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.