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June 18, 2023 | 3:34 p.m
Legendary Houston rapper Big Pokey died after suddenly collapsing onstage while performing at a bar in the city of Beaumont on Saturday night. He was 45.
Dramatic footage from the night of the concert shows Big Pokey gasping into the mic mid-lyrics as he raps at the Pour 09 bar.
He then falls on his back in front of the shocked onlookers of the audience.
Paramedics rushed to the stage and performed CPR before the rapper was taken to a nearby hospital just after midnight.
Authorities confirmed that he died shortly after the incident.
His cause of death is not yet known.
Big Pokey – real name Milton Powell – was known locally as a founding member of the Houston rap scene with the group Screw up Click.
The artist gained notoriety with his debut solo album The Hardest Pit in the Litter in 1999.
He has released numerous albums and collaborations over the years, most recently his 2021 album Sensei.
Offstage, Big Pokey’s name was Milton Powell, and he was known to his friends and fans as a loving friend to everyone. Big Pokey has released numerous albums since the beginning of his career in the 1990s, including his most recent album “Sensei” Big Pokey / Instagram
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Milton ‘Big Pokey’ Powell. Big Pokey passed away on June 18, 2023,” his publicist told KPRC Click2Houston.
“He was very popular with his family, friends and loyal fans. In the coming days we will be releasing information about his celebration of life and how the public can pay their respects. We ask that you respect his family and their privacy at this difficult time. Big Pokey will forever be ‘the toughest pit in the pit’!”
Fellow Houston rappers responded with an outpouring of support for a man they described as “low-key” and extremely talented.
“I wasn’t ready for this. One of the most talented artists in town,” wrote rapper Bun B on Instagram. “The reserved, unassuming mountain of a man who moved with honor and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate. He stopped, did what he had to do, and headed home. One of the pillars of our city. If a heart of gold were a man. Iconic member of the SUC. There will never be another and we will miss him dearly. We love and honor you, Sensei. rest in heaven.”
Big Pokey was performing at Pour 09 Bar in Beaumont, Texas just before collapsing mid-song. His cause of death remains unclear. Big Pokey was a member of the 1990s Houston rap group Screw Up Click and was popular with many in the local scene. Big Pokey / Instagram
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner attended the tributes and tweeted, “The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own family and friends of legendary Screwed Up Click rapper #BigPokey.”
“Although many described him as ‘low key,’ his presence was larger than life and helped catapult our hip-hop scene nationwide. We’re thankful.”
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