American rap artiste, Milton Powell, popularly known on stage as Big Pokey has given up the ghost.
The 45-year-old singer collapsed on stage while performing at a bar in Beaumont, Texas, on Saturday night and failed to recover.
Footage from CCTV showed that the rapper was speaking with the Disc Jockey when suddenly he he exhaled heavily before tripping and landed on the floor.
The incident was confirmed in a statement on the rapper’s verified Instagram page.
“Big Pokey passed away. 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.”
The Hardest Pit in the Litter is a reference to Pokey’s 1999 debut LP. A year later, he released the album D-Game, and his third album, Da Sky’s Da Limit, was released in 2002.
Other notable credits include his appearance on Paul Wall’s “Sittin’ Sideways” and DJ Screw’s “June 27th.”
More recently, his released his last album, Sensei, in 2021 and appeared on Megan Thee Stallion’s 2022 track “Southside Royalty Freestyle” alongside Sauce Walka and Lil Keke