Houston-Based Rapper Big Pokey Dies After Suddenly Collapsing On Stage

Houston rap legend Big Pokey has died after collapsing on stage Saturday night. He was 45.

Paramedics rushed to the stage and performed CPR before taking the rapper to a nearby hospital. Authorities confirmed he died soon after the incident.

Fans at the show captured video of the terrifying incident at the Pour 09 Bar in Beaumont, Texas.

Warning: This is hard to watch.

Big Pokey — or Milton Powell — was a trailblazer for the Houston rap scene with the group Screwed up Click. He gained local fame for his 1999 debut album, "The Hardest Pit in the Litter."

Big Pokey went on to create six studio albums, with the latest, Sensei, released in 2021.

Fellow Houston rapper Bun B broke the news of Big Pokey's passing on Instagram — calling the deceased artist "one of the pillars of our city."

"I wasn't ready for this," Bun B wrote. "One of the most naturally talented artists in the city. Low key, humble mountain of a man who moved with honor and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate.

"He'd pull up, do what he had to do and head home. 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."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also paid tribute to the late rapper.

"The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own Screwed Up Click legendary rapper Big Pokey's family and friends," Turner tweeted. "Though many called him 'low key,' his presence was larger than life in helping to catapult our hip hop scene nationally."

Authorities have not yet released a cause of death.