(Houston) Milton Powell, a Houston rapper known as artist Big Pokey and credited with showcased the local hip-hop scene, died after collapsing during a show in Texas, a local official said Monday.
Posted yesterday at 4:17pm.
Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Tom Gillam III, where Milton Powell was performing when he collapsed on Sunday, said an autopsy had been ordered to determine the cause of death. Milton Powell was 48 years old.
He was a member of the Houston rap collective Screwed Up Click, which also included the late DJ Screw.
Big Pokey performed at a bar called Pour09 in Beaumont. The venue’s owner, Min Dai, told the Houston Chronicle that police were at the scene and were able to provide “immediate” medical assistance before paramedics rushed the rapper to the hospital.
A statement on Milton Powell’s official Instagram page said he was “hugely loved by his family, friends and loyal fans.”
Honors to other artists are piling up on social media.
Rapper Bun B called Milton Powell “one of the most naturally talented artists” in Houston.
“He showed up, did what he had to do and went home. One of the mainstays of our city,” Bun B said on Instagram.