Who was Big Pokey? Tributes pour in as Houston Rapper collapses and dies on stage at 45

Big Pokey passed away on Sunday at the age of 45. He was performing inside the Pour 09 Bar in Beaumont the previous day when he collapsed on stage. Video footage from inside the club shows Pokey panting in the microphone as he continues rapping. He eventually falls on his back and paramedics run towards the stage to perform CPR.

He was transported to a hospital at midnight, where he was pronounced dead. Pokey's cause of death remains unknown.

Rapper Paul Wall paid tribute to Pokey on Facebook by posting a few pictures and described him as a "great mentor and friend." Photographer and videographer Dorian Green also posted some photos of Pokey and wrote:

Lawyer and politician Sheila Jackson Lee wrote on Facebook that Pokey was an icon in the Houston rap community and that he was doing what he loved just before he breathed his last.

Big Pokey released 6 albums and 8 mixtapes in his successful musical career

Big Pokey was one of the members of the hip-hop collective Screwed Up Click. The group also included rappers and rap groups like Botany Boyz, C-Note, Al-D, Big Troy, Kay-K, Lil' Flip, Mike D, and others. Screwed Up Click released three albums between 1999 and 2014.

Pokey began his career by collaborating with hip-hop DJ, DJ Screw, during the 90s. Pokey's debut album, Hardest Pit in the Litter, was released in May 1999 and had 17 singles.

Big's second album, D-Game 2000, was released in August 2000 and it was trending at the top of the charts. He then released three more albums, namely Da Sky's Da Limit, Evacuation Notice, and Sensei.

Pokey released some mixtapes that received a positive response from the audience. The mixtapes included Mob 4 Life, The Best of Big Pokey II, On Another Note, Keep On Stackin, Vol. 3: Smoked Out… Beatin!!!, and others.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Big Pokey became popular over the years for delivering a lot of hits. His publicist spoke to KPRC Click2Houston, stating that everyone loved him.

Apart from Pokey, 2023 has already witnessed the loss of several other hip-hop industry stars like MoneySign Suede, BTB Savage, Costa Titch, David Jolicoeur, AKA, Gangsta Boo, and more.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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