Fatman Scoop

Fatman Scoop, born Isaac Freeman III (1971–2024), was an American rapper and hype man from New York City renowned for his booming, party-starting ad-libs and call-and-response energy on club and pop-rap records. He first broke through in the late 1990s as a mixtape and radio personality before crossing into mainstream hits.

His breakout as a lead artist came with the 1999 club anthem «Be Faithful», built around a chant hook that became a staple of DJ sets and dance-pop production for years afterward. He became one of the most recognizable guest voices in 2000s pop and R&B, most famously lending his booming ad-libs to Missy Elliott's «Lose Control» and Mariah Carey's «It's Like That» in 2005, both of which brought his style to a massive global audience.

Beyond those signature features, Fatman Scoop continued to work across hip-hop, pop, and dance music, contributing his instantly identifiable shouted hooks to numerous singles and remixes. His influence lies less in traditional rapping and more in defining a whole subgenre of hype-driven, crowd-igniting pop-rap collaborations that shaped club culture in the 2000s.