Res. No. 1025

Resolution designating August 6 annually as Fatman Scoop Recognition Day in the City of New York and celebrating the signature style that he brought to every musical collaboration and the inimitable energy he brought to every audience.

By Council Members Salaam, Farías and Louis

Whereas, Fatman Scoop was born Isaac Freeman, III, on August 6, 1968, in Manhattan to Elizabeth Freeman, who worked as a day care director, and Isaac Freeman, Jr., who worked in the dry cleaning business; and

Whereas, Scoop explained that he got his nickname and eventual stage name from his Uncle Jack who “gave me the name when I was a baby because I used to eat ice cream”; and

Whereas, Scoop was raised in Harlem, graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, and attended New York Institute of Technology; and

Whereas, Scoop was known for his “thunderous voice, infectious energy and call-and-response style,” which “became synonymous with the dance floor,” according to Jon Powell, writing for the REVOLT, a multi-platform media company and voice of Hip Hop and global youth culture; and

Whereas, Powell praised Scoop’s versatility, noting that Scoop went beyond rap and R&B and “successfully bridged multiple musical worlds, becoming equally at home in house, EDM [electronic dance music] and pop”; and

Whereas, From 1995 to 2007, Scoop hosted a popular show, called Ignorant Radio, on New York City’s Hot 97 WQHT radio station, taking the midnight to 5:00 a.m. slot for a decade before moving to midday; and

Whereas, Scoop is known for his “Be Faithful” (1999), featuring the Crooklyn Clan (the duo of DJ Sizzahandz and DJ Riz) and sampling Faith Evans’s “Love Like This,” which reached the top spot on the British Billboard singles chart in 2003 and has become the unforgettable beat of countless house parties, clubs, and raves worldwide; and

Whereas, Scoop famously hypes up the audience in “Be Faithful,” starting with the memorable lines, “you got a 100 dollar bill, put your hands up; you got a 20 dollar bill, put your hands up” and shouting for the audience to “make noise”; and

Whereas, Collaborating with Missy Elliott and Ciara, Scoop won a GRAMMY in 2006 for best short form music video for Elliott’s triple-platinum single “Lose Control,” which was also nominated for best rap song and which was ranked in the top three spots on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs and Pop 100 charts; and

Whereas, Scoop’s other top tracks as lead artist include “Put Your Hands Up,” featuring the Crooklyn Clan (2004); “It Takes Scoop,” with DJ Kool (2005); “It’s Your Birthday (CN Remix),” featuring Pitbull; and “Beyonce Before I Let You Go Remix,” with DJ Kazzanova (2019); and

Whereas, Scoop collaborated with a long list of well-known artists when they needed a high-energy feature for an original song or a remix, including on “Drop,” by Timbaland & Magoo (2001); “It’s Like That,” by Mariah Carey and featuring Jermaine Dupri (2005); “So Excited,” remix by Janet Jackson (2006); “We Came to Party,” by LL Cool J and featuring Snoop Dogg (2013); “Recess,” by Skrillex and Kill The Noise (2014); and “Level Up,” remix by Ciara (2018); and

Whereas, During the pandemic, Scoop interviewed and released personal conversations with a variety of stars, including rappers Snoop Dogg and DMX and actor Michael K. Williams; and

Whereas, On August 30, 2024, Scoop collapsed while performing on stage in Hamden, Connecticut, and died due to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at the age of 56; and

Whereas, Drummer of the Roots and Hip Hop historian Questlove wrote of Scoop, “I want to thank FATMAN SCOOP for being an embodiment of what hip-hop was truly about”; and

Whereas, Scoop’s ex-wife Shanda, with whom he starred in an MTV reality show Man & Wife, paid tribute to him, saying that he “was a pure heart and loved reaching back and helping others” and that he “had the best parents and learned his heart through them”; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York designates August 6 annually as Fatman Scoop Recognition Day in the City of New York and celebrates the signature style that he brought to every musical collaboration and the inimitable energy he brought to every audience.

LS #18095 and 17725

12/2/2024

RHP