Big Pokey Laid to Rest at Houston Funeral – Billboard

Houston rapper Big Pokey was laid to relaxation Sunday (July 2), every week after he collapsed onstage and died throughout a efficiency.

Every week in the past, Big Pokey was onstage in entrance of an viewers in Beaumont, Texas, when he immediately collapsed. A video circulating on-line and on social media reveals Pokey taking the microphone in entrance of a crowd. He takes a breath after which falls backward.

He was 48. The explanation for demise isn’t but identified; a preliminary post-mortem report was inconclusive.

He was laid to relaxation following a service at Fountain of Praise church in Houston. Among the luminaries turning out to pay their respects have been Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and rappers Paul Wall, Trae Tha Truth and Slim Thug, in accordance to The Houston Chronicle.

Pokey, whose actual identify was Milton Powell, was a founding member of the Screwed Up Click, a rap collective led by DJ Screw, who’s credited with creating “a slowed, pitched-down music style” that turned often called “chopped and screwed,” in accordance to the Associated Press.

“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,” learn an announcement posted on his Instagram following his demise. “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 within the Litter is a reference to Pokey’s 1999 debut LP. A 12 months later, he launched the album D-Game, and his third album, Da Sky’s Da Limit, was launched in 2002.

Other notable credit embody his look on Paul Wall’s “Sittin’ Sideways” and DJ Screw’s “June 27th.”

More not too long ago, his launched his final album, Sensei, in 2021 and appeared on Megan Thee Stallion’s 2022 observe “Southside Royalty Freestyle” alongside Sauce Walka and Lil Keke.

This article initially appeared in THR.com.