Yahoo News Houston Rapper Big Pokey Dies at 48 After Collapsing Onstage
Houston rapper Big Pokey, a founding member of the Screwed Up Click collective, has died after collapsing onstage. He was 48.
A cause of death was not immediately known.
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Pokey, whose real name was Milton Powell, died after collapsing during a performance in Beaumont, Texas, late Saturday night. A video circulating online and on social media shows Pokey taking the microphone in front of a crowd. He takes a breath and then falls backward.
The news of Pokey’s death was shared in a statement on his Instagram profile. His rep also told Houston Fox affiliate KRIV and said that autopsy results are pending.
“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,” the statement 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.'”
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.
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