Heartfelt Tributes: Ciara, Missy Elliott, Timbaland & More Honor the Legendary Fatman Scoop!

On August 30th, Fatman Scoop, real name Isaac Freeman III, passed away. He was only 56 years old.

On Saturday, August 31, Fatman Scoop’s tour manager, Birch Micheal, known as Pure Cold, confirmed the rapper and hype-man’s passing on Instagram. As of now, no details have been released regarding the circumstances surrounding his passing.

The passing of the iconic hype-man, Fatman Scoop, has elicited heartfelt reactions from both fans and celebrities. Notable figures such as Ciara, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland have expressed their condolences and paid tribute to the New York native.

Missy Elliott conveyed her sympathies by stating, “Prayers for Fatman Scoop family for STRENGTH during this difficult time. Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT is HUGE & will be NEVER be forgotten.”

In 2020, Missy shared behind-the-scenes footage related to her hit song “Lose Control,” which is featured on her sixth studio album, The Cookbook. The track also includes contributions from Ciara. She remarked, “WOW!!! NEVER SEEN BEFORE [fire emoji] This is my session to my song Lose Control 15 YEARS AGO [shocked emoji] with @ciara & @fatmanscoop this the first time anyone seeing it & the creation of scoop chants/adlibs that he did by looking at Ciara dancing from in the booth[hand emoji] [fire emoji].”

News of Scoop’s death spread rapidly, prompting Ciara to share her own tribute. “Rest Easy at
@FatmanScoop! You were truly one of the best voices in hip-hop! I’m so glad I got to experience your greatness! We will all miss you greatly [heart emoji],” Ciara wrote via X.

Timbaland also expressed his condolences through an Instagram post featuring a black-and-white image of Fatman Scoop surrounded by his accolades. The comment section was filled with messages of sympathy from fellow artists, including Swizz Beatz, Lady London, and Denzel Curry. Juicy J also took the opportunity to honor Fatman Scoop, stating, “Rest in peace, to the Legend Fatman Scoop,” on X.

In discussion of Fatman Scoop’s passing, KRS emphasizes that tributes should have been offered much earlier. KRS-One advocates for greater appreciation to be expressed towards our Hip-Hop legends while they are still living.

“It’s a shame we’re talking about him in this way,” KRS stated. “Hip hop gotta stop doing that. Only when dudes pass, that’s when they get honored. We should’ve been looking at Fatman Scoop when his career was blowing up. He never got played on no stations or nothing, only DJs that knew would throw his music on.”