Global Courant
Milton Powell, a Houston rapper who performed under the name Big Pokey, has died after performing in Texas over the weekend
HOUSTON — Milton Powell, a Houston rapper who performed under the name Big Pokey and is credited with elevating the city’s hip-hop scene, died after collapsing at a show in Texas, a local official said Monday.
Tom Gillam III, a justice of the peace in Jefferson County, where Powell was performing when he collapsed Sunday, said an autopsy was underway to determine the cause of death. He said Powell was 48.
Powell was a member of Houston’s rap collective Screwed Up Click which was formed by the late DJ Screw. Powell performed at a bar in Beaumont called Pour09, whose owner, Min Dai, told the Houston Chronicle that police were on the scene and were able to provide medical attention “immediately” before emergency responders rushed the rapper to a hospital .
A statement on Powell’s official Instagram page said he was “loved by his family, friends and his loyal fans”.
Tributes from other artists poured in through social media.
Rapper Bun B called Powell “one of the most naturally talented artists” in Houston.
“He stopped, did what he had to do and went home. One of the pillars of our city,” Bun B said on Instagram.
(TagsToTranslate)Hip Hop & Rap
