Fatman Scoop

Isaac Freeman III, better known under his Fatman Scoop moniker, was a hip-hop artist probably best known for the chart hit "Be Faithful." Freeman received the nickname after appearing as an ice cream man in <a href="spotify:artist:2WKdxPFRD7IqZvlIAvhMgY">the Fugees</a>' video "Killing Me Softly." Stylistically, Fatman Scoop was loud, repetitive, and boisterous, like a hip-hop hype man. His first appearance as a solo artist was on <a href="spotify:artist:4loSS1wuWXX3WxDqciCtIM">Timbaland & Magoo</a>'s "Drop" in 2001, but it wasn't until 2003 that the single "Be Faithful" was a massive hit on the club circuit and topped the U.K. charts. The track was included on his album Party Breaks, Vol. 1, along with singles "It Takes Scoop" featuring <a href="spotify:artist:1SWGyp2nxNSyQkRX1eqoUp">DJ Kool</a> and "In the Club" in 2004, neither as commercially successful as their predecessor. In 2006, Scoop returned with the singles "Dance" featuring <a href="spotify:artist:6yaNqIBBdpP9asnoITtwLs">Lum</a> and "U Sexy Girl," but it was his appearance on hit singles such as <a href="spotify:artist:4iHNK0tOyZPYnBU7nGAgpQ">Mariah Carey</a>'s "It’s Like That" and <a href="spotify:artist:2wIVse2owClT7go1WT98tk">Missy Elliott</a>'s Grammy Award-winning "Lose Control" that had more chart success. Freeman released "Talk to Me" in 2007 and "New Year's Anthem" in 2009; both failed to chart, but again it was his guest appearances that proved his most popular efforts, with features on tracks by the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:5YFS41yoX0YuFY39fq21oN">Bob Sinclar</a> ("Rock the Boat," 2012), <a href="spotify:artist:1P8IfcNKwrkQP5xJWuhaOC">LL Cool J</a> ("We Came to Party," 2013), and <a href="spotify:artist:5he5w2lnU9x7JFhnwcekXX">Skrillex</a> ("Recess," 2014). Coinciding with his music career, Scoop was also a presenter on the popular New York radio station WQHT and created a regular podcast entitled Man and Wife TV with his wife Shanda Freeman on which the couple talked openly about their relationship. Scoop had a brief appearance on British reality TV in 2015, and was featured on a string of singles, including <a href="spotify:artist:6BrvowZBreEkXzJQMpL174">Hardwell</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2rTo8KIkBTFjQS7VvaKYQ4">W&W</a>'s "Don't Stop the Madness" (2015), <a href="spotify:artist:58quCP7j2McEeEtRungVle">Charlotte Devaney</a>'s "Bass Dunk" with <a href="spotify:artist:1Bk2KyFVMN5PeyVyDIiLqF">Lady Leshurr</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5he5w2lnU9x7JFhnwcekXX">Skrillex</a> and Jauz' "SQUAD OUT" (both 2016), and <a href="spotify:artist:3PtCud9dIdOv4exrzdZZ1C">MAKJ</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1zuQZzeqzzlwUKVMYHvA87">Michael Sparks</a>' "Space Jam" (2017). He continued to perform live, shifted to other ventures during the COVD-19 pandemic, then returned to the stage once again. He died during a performance in Connecticut on August 30th, 2024. ~ James Pearce, Rovi