Famed rapper Big Pokey, one of the members of the hip-hop collective Screwed Up Click is no longer with us. He passed away at the age of 45. As per a report by TMZ, he died after collapsing onstage.
It has been reported by the media outlet, that the Houston musician whose real name is Milton Powell fell on the stage during his performance. Read on to know more details about the scary incident.
Houston rapper Big Pokey passes away at 45
The Texas-based MC Big Pokey has left for the heavenly abode. He reportedly collapsed on the stage during his performance. As per a few reports, he collapsed at a bar in neighboring Beaumont late Saturday night.
In the video that has popped up on the internet, Big Pokey aka Milton Powell can be seen standing on what appears to be a two-story stage, where he seems to be performing as he has a mic in one hand and he can be spotted chit-chatting with the DJ.
The clip showed the Keep My Name Out Yo Mouth rapper gasping for air on stage. He fell on his back as the shocked audience members looked on. Soon after, the paramedics rushed to the stage. Luckily, a nurse was present in the crowd and she tried her best to help him by giving him CPR.
Then, the beloved rapper was taken to a hospital. He passed away shortly past midnight on early Sunday. As of this moment, the cause behind his untimely demise has not been revealed publicly.
Big Pokey’s death was announced on social media
The sad news of Big Pokey’s tragic death was confirmed on his social media handles via an official statement that read, “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.”
It further read, “He was well loved by his family, his friends, and his loyal fans. In the coming days, we will release information about his celebration of life and how the public can pay their respects. We ask that you respect his family and their privacy during this difficult time. Big Pokey will forever be ‘The Hardest Pit in the Litter!’”
Here’s all you need to know about Big Pokey (including his real name, early life, and music career)
The real name of Big Pokey is Milton Powell. He was born on November 29, 1977, in Houston, Texas, United States. He was one of the original members of the hip-hop collective Screwed Up Click. The group included many rappers and rap groups like C-Note, Botany Boyz, Al-D, Big Troy, Kay-K, Lil’ Flip, Mike D, and others.
Throughout the course of his music career, Pokey released 6 albums and 8 mixtapes. He began rapping with Houston producer DJ Screw in the early 1990s. At that point in time, he dropped many songs on DJ Screw’s mixtapes. In addition to this, he also featured on DJ Screw’s mixtape named June 27th Freestyle.
Milton shot to fame after releasing his first studio album, Hardest Pit in the Litter, which came out in early 1999. It contained a total of 17 songs. The next year, he released his second album titled D-Game 2000, which consisted of many hits such as That’s All We Had, Swallowed by the Game, Why Yall Still Talking Down, and Get out Our Way amongst many others.
In the year 2001, Big joined hands with the hip-hop group The Wreckshop Wolfpack for a collaborative studio album called The Collabo which saw the light of day on November 6, 2001. His third studio album Da Sky’s Da Limit was released in 2002.
On the other hand, when we talk about Pokey’s fourth album, Evacuation Notice, it was released in 2008. His fifth studio album Sensei came out 2 years ago. Along with this, he also dropped several mixtapes like Mob 4 Life, The Best of Big Pokey II, On Another Note, Keep On Stackin, Vol. 3: Smoked Out… Beatin!!!, and others.
How did the celebs react to Big Pokey’s demise?
The sudden demise of Big Pokey has come as a big shock to the music industry. Since the time, the news of the Houston rapper’s death broke out, many of his peers have mourned the loss on social media.
Rapper Bun B took to his Instagram page and wrote, “I wasn’t ready for this. One of the most naturally talented artists in the city. Low key, humble mountain of a man who moved with honor and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate. He’d pull up, do what he had to do and head home. One of the pillars of our city. If heart of gold was a person. Iconic member of the SUC. There will never be another and will be missed dearly. We love and honor you Sensei. Rest in heaven.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also mourned the loss of Pokey on the social media platform Twitter by writing, “The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own Screwed Up Click legendary rapper #BigPokey family and friends. Though many called him ‘low key’, his presence was larger than life in helping to catapult our hip-hop scene nationally. We are grateful.”
Rapper Paul Wall penned, “It is with an extremely heavy heart that I make this post saying rest in peace to SUC BIG POKEY what a great mentor and friend. A trendsetter and leader. I am so blessed to have known #BigPokey My love, prayers, and condolences go out to your family. Rest in peace big bro. Sensei Forever #ripbigpokey”
We send our sincere condolences to the close friends and family members of the musician Big Pokey during this time of difficulty. May his soul rest in peace. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
