More details about FatMan Scoop‘s death have emerged, a month after the Grammy-winning DJ and hypeman collapsed onstage during a concert in Connecticut.
The “Be Faithful” performer, born Isaac Freeman, died of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed on Tuesday to The Times. FatMan Scoop’s manner of death was listed as “natural.”
Hypertensive heart disease is a long-term condition that develops in people who live with long-term high blood pressure, the Cleveland Clinic says. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque in and on the artery walls that can stiffen arteries and cause them to narrow, limiting blood flow to organs and tissues, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Freeman died Aug. 30, his family announced in an Instagram statement last month. “The world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on stage and in life,” the statement said. He was 56.
Prior to his death, the musician was seen in social media videos collapsing onstage during a show in Hamden, Conn. Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said on Facebook that the rapper “had a medical emergency on stage” and was taken in an ambulance to a hospital. A day later, Garrett shared the rapper’s family’s statement, reflecting on Scoop’s legacy “as evidenced by the thousands of fans that came to see what would be his last performance.”
Tributes, including from Missy Elliott and Chuck D, swiftly poured in. Sharron Elkabas, Freeman’s representative, said, “It’s hard to believe he is no longer with us.”
Mourning for FatMan Scoop carried over well into the weeks following his death. In early September, the town of Hamden hosted a candlelight vigil for the rapper at Town Center Park where he performed his final concert. On Sept. 12, the Apollo Theater in FatMan Scoop’s native Harlem celebrated the rapper’s life.
“His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity,” his family said in August. “His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”
Times assistant managing editor Craig Nakano contributed to this report.