Houston rapper Big Pokey, an integral part of the local scene and an original member of the collective Screwed Up Click, has died, his publicist told local news station Fox 26. He fainted while performing at Pour 09 Bar in Beaumont, Texas just after midnight on Sunday (June 18). Big Pokey was rushed to a hospital, where he later died. His cause of death is pending awaiting autopsy results. The rapper was 45 years old.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Milton ‘Big Pokey’ Powell,” reads a statement from the rapper’s publicist on behalf of his family, who asked for privacy. “Big Pokey passed away on June 18, 2023. 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.’”

Born Milton Powell in 1977, Big Pokey gravitated towards Houston’s chopped and screwed rap scene while he was a teenager in school, and he was instantly recognizable with his hypnotic baritone voice. DJ Screw invited him and other local rappers to freestyle over many of his early Screw Tapes; Big Pokey would go on to become a founding member of that collective, hailed as the Screwed Up Click. One of his most famous freestyles, a six-minute long appearance on the 1996 epic “June 27th,” has since gained legendary status in the Houston scene and beyond, serving as a classic introduction point to Southern-style rapping. When asked in 2001 interview about how he started rapping as a child and ended up recording with DJ Screw, Big Pokey explained: “We were just playing around. Once I got in with Screw and we got to do it on the table, we were always doing it for the fun of it. I was never doing it for things to blow up.”

After leaving to study at Blinn College, Big Pokey returned in 1999 with his debut full-length album, Hardest Pit in the Litter, which further earned him fame outside of his hometown city. He followed it up with D-Game 2000 the next year. After collaborating with acts like the Wreckshop Wolfpack and Big Moe in 2001, he released his third solo album, Da Sky’s Da Limit, in 2002. Paul Wall invited him to hop on his single “Sittin’ Sidewayz” in 2005, which would mark his first time charting on the Billboard Hot 100. Over the years, Big Pokey would go on to release five other solo albums, the most recent of which was 2021’s Sensei, and release joint records with artists like Chris Ward, E.S.G., J-Dawg, and others. Last year, joined Megan Thee Stallion on her Traumazine song “Southside Royalty Freestyle” alongside a slate of fellow Houston rap legends.

During a 2019 interview with K-Rino Radio, Big Pokey was asked if there was anything he would do differently if he could rewind his journey over the years. “I really wouldn’t, man,” he answered. “It’s crazy, but honestly man, I take the bitter with the sweet. I just do. If I give back my struggle, then I gotta give back my strength. I just take it all in stride.”

After learning of his death, artists have been paying tribute to Big Pokey on social media, including Juicy J, Slim Thug, Lil Flip, DJ Slim K, and Deux Process. “Low key, humble mountain of a man who moved with honor and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate,” Bun B wrote on Instagram. “One of the pillars of our city. If heart of gold was a person. Iconic member of the SUC. There will never be another and will be missed dearly. We love and honor you Sensei. Rest in heaven.”