Big Pokey death: Houston rapper dies aged 45 after on-stage collapse

Houston rapper Big Pokey, who was part of the Screwed Up Click hip-hop collective, has died aged 45 after collapsing during a show.

The artist, whose real name was Milton Powell, died after the gig, which took place at a bar in Beaumont, Texas, late on Saturday night (17 June). His cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and his representative told Houston Fox affiliate KRIV that autopsy results are pending.

Footage being shared online sees Powell taking the microphone and then falling backwards in front of a crowd of fans. He later died on 18 June.

His death was announced on his Instagram profile, in a statement that read: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Milton ‘Big Pokey’ Powell…

“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’.”

Those final words are a reference to the title of the rapper’s debut record, released in 1999.

Fellow Screwed Up member Bun B posted on Instagram that Powell was “one of the pillars” and “one of the most naturally talented artists in the city” of Houston.

He said Powell was a “low key, humble mountain of a man who moved with honour and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate. He’d pull up, do what he had to do and head home.”

Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, wrote on Twitter: “The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own Screwed Up Click legendary rapper #BigPokey family and friends.”

Powell’s other albums include 2000’s D-Game and 2002’s Da Sky’s Da Limit.

His latest album, Sensai, was released in 2021.

Last year, he featured on Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Southside Royalty Freestyle” with Sauce Walka and Lil Keke.

The Screwed Up Click (or SUC) was led by DJ Screw in the Nineties, until the influential rapper died from a codeine overdose in 2000. Other notable members over the years have included Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, the Botany Boyz, ESG., Fat Pat, Lil’ Flip, Lil’ Keke, Lil’ O, and Z-Ro.

George Floyd – the American man whose murder by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 sparked global protests – was once a part of Houston’s Screwed Up Click. He performed on numerous mixtapes as Big Floyd during the Nineties.

The group was instrumental in the creation of the “chopped-and-screwed” style of hip-hop, incorperating extremely slowed-down underlying music, that can still be heard in rap music to this day.