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No One Yelled Like Fatman Scoop
Rap’s preeminent hype man had a gravel-filled bark that sounded like every cigarette he ever smoked.
Isaac Freeman III, known to fans as Fatman Scoop, used these rare quiet moments to write, frequently calling DJ Riz, his partner in the rap duo Crooklyn Clan, to run through potential lyrics for their club anthems. For a time in the 2000s he was in highdemand, lending that voice and spontaneous kineticism to what might otherwise have been disposable pop standards from Timbaland (“ Drop ”), Janet Jackson (“ So Excited (Remix) ”), Missy (“Lose Control”; this wonderful video captures Scoop performing his up-close magic), and Mariah Carey (“ It’s Like That ”). Fatman Scoop — who was born two years before Herc hosted his ‘73 Back to School Jam in the Bronx — descended from this tradition, transfusing recorded music with the spontaneous energy of the impromptu shows and parties that molded the early days of the genre.
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