Isaac “Fatman Scoop” Freeman III was one of the most beloved figures in hip-hop. With his love of the culture, unparalleled energy, and infectious personality, he was truly one of a kind. If you were outside during the 1990s and 2000s, his signature gruff voice was ubiquitous in New York City and eventually around the globe—performing some of the most popular songs of the era.  Grammy Award winner, Scoop worked with artists such as Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Mariah Carey, Ciara, and of course Faith Evans on the club classic “Be Faithful.” His creativity knew no bounds—he was a DJ, radio personality, producer, podcaster, reality TV star, and much more.

Following Scoop’s sudden passing on August 30, a celebration of his life and legacy took place on Thursday, September 12, at the historic Apollo Theater in his hometown of Harlem. Hundreds were in attendance to honor the man who brought so much joy to so many. 

LL Cool J, Kid Capri, Angie Martinez, Teddy Riley, Busta Rhymes, Treach of Naughty By Nature, Cipha Sounds, Peter Rosenberg, DJ SNS, DJ Enough, and Councilman Yusef Salaam and Kevin Richardson of the Exonerated Five were among those who gathered on the sacred ground of the Apollo to celebrate Scoop's life and bid him farewell.

Sway Calloway, host of “Sway in the Morning” on SiriusXM, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the occasion and pledged to keep Scoop’s name alive.

“It could be hard being from somewhere else. Working in New York, there weren't a lot of people that embraced me. I can name three of them. Red Alert was one, Rich Nice from the Trackmasters, and Fatman Scoop,” Calloway said. “I went from working on radio in New York to MTV and Fatman Scoop was there. When I started working at Hot 97, Fatman Scoop was there. When I started working at Sirius XM, he was there. Our careers ran parallel. But the thing I appreciated most about him was that he would call me and give me constructive feedback. He would call me and give me cheat codes to the game.”

In his opening prayer, Rev. Kahlil G. James, pastor of Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Scoop’s home church, said that the renowned DJ was a hip-hop griot who made everyone “feel like they were part of the party.”

“Fatman Scoop was shaped by the vibrant traditions of the Black church when he first lifted his voice in the youth choir of the Mount Zion AME Church,” James said. “It was in that sacred space where he was surrounded by song and he discovered the profound power of what our ancestors call "the call and response”.  The soulful exchange, rooted in the spirit of the African Griot, the storyteller.”

Riley described Scoop as “a true Harlem King” and that he always showed up when you needed him.

“I remember Scoop, Timbaland, and our late brother, Melvin Barcliff aka Magoo, were performing “Drop.” It was one of the biggest shows of my life with 85,000 seats sold out. And Fatman Scoop had 85,000 people singing all his words to the song,” Riley said. “That's the type of person he was.”

Martinez said that Scoop’s voice will never be forgotten because it will always be everywhere.

“I hope that you guys still talk to him, and when you pray you'll hear his voice. You really will. It’s a real thing,” Martinez shared. “But the thing about Scoop is that he always wanted people to feel encouraged, to have fun, and to live life out loud. I hope that we all take a little piece of that with us.”

Kid Capri reflected on Scoop’s integrity and how he never let his success change him.

"We could talk about his ability, his entertainment, and we could talk about what he's contributed to the world. But what I want to talk about is how he treated people. We're in a business where we could be one way at one time, and because of our positions and the accolades that we receive, it turns us into somebody else,” Capri said. “That's a testament to who Scoop was. Scoop didn't change into something different. He stayed the same way.”

DJ Webstar, A$AP Ferg, Ron Brownz, Jim Jones, and Dyce Peso performed a medley of their songs and expressed how Scoop influenced their lives and careers. Webstar said, “Scoop is one of the best humans ever.”

“I had to come out here because Fatman Scoop is a family member. I used to run into him overseas all the time. He used to be out getting that bag in Germany and London. I used to see him by himself. I was like,  ‘Where are you going?’ I see him finessing the wheelchair and everything because he didn’t want to walk. Scoop said, ‘They're gonna put me in first class. I just got to go over there right now,’” Ferg shared as the crowd laughed.

Sean C, Scoop’s best friend from childhood revealed that Scoop was one of the best rappers in Harlem and used the monikers “Rev Ike” and “Scoop Rock” before becoming a DJ. 

“That's my best friend since we were 11, 12 years old. It's crazy that I met Scoop at Lehman Projects basketball court which is crazy because we both were trash,” Sean C said to laughter from the audience. “When you know somebody for as long as I have known Scoop, you kind of don't remember where you met him because they just kind of like always been there. Scoop always made his presence felt so I was always going to remember where I met him.”

Busta Rhymes praised Scoop for his steadfast persona and consistency on and off the stage.

“Scoop was one of the most beautiful human beings I ever met in my life. We all have our good, our bad, and our indifferences,” Busta said. “We have our off days and that's fine. It’s okay to have an off day but I don't think I've ever ran into Fatman Scoop and he was having an off day. I never saw him angry. I never saw him upset. I never saw him perspire and worry about things outside of when he was on that stage busting a$$.”

In a video montage that tracked his life, from childhood to his ascent into a global superstar, Scoop said that he never considered himself to be a legend until, what would turn out to be, the last days of his life.

“Your life starts when you do the things that make your life start. I just started kind of accepting that,” Scoop said. “I always just thought I was a dude who was lucky enough to do this on a high level for many years.”

Without question, Fatman Scoop has achieved legendary status. His contributions have left an indelible imprint on hip-hop culture—we will always hear his voice.