Koopsta Knicca aka
Robert Cooper Phillips a murit azi la vârsta de 40 de ani în urma unui ictus după ce a suferit de anevrism.
A fost membrul grupului Three 6 Mafia până în anul 2000 când a părăsit grupul pentru cariera solo, iar în 2012 a colaborat cu Lord Infamous (care a murit în 2013) formând trupa Da Mafia 6ix.
Robert "Koopsta Knicca" Cooper Phillips, a member of the Memphis hip-hop group
Three 6 Mafia,
passed away early Friday after suffering a massive stroke. Phillips was
40. Three 6 Mafia co-founder DJ Paul confirmed Knicca's death to
the Commercial Appeal,
saying in a statement that the rapper "went in peace … Everyone who
knew Koop knew he was very funny and the coolest guy ever. He will be
missed. We made classics together that'll live on."
DJ Paul added that Knicca was "my group member and brother for over
20 years." Knicca was hospitalized and on life support since last
weekend after suffering a stroke. "Doctors have advised that
arrangements should be prepared for Koop and that he is in need of a
miracle,"
a GoFundMe page for the rapper alerted fans on Wednesday.
Former Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J
wrote on Instagram,
"R.I.P koopsta Knicca we made history! You will be missed #mafia4life
prayers up for the family." The rapper joined Juicy J, DJ Paul and the
late Lord Infamous in Three 6 Mafia in the early Nineties, featuring on
all the group's albums from 1994's
Smoked Out, Loced Out to 2000's
When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1.
In 2000, Knicca left the group both to pursue a solo career and due to
legal troubles, as the rapper was arrested on charges of domestic
violence, assault and aggravated burglary.
While no longer a fulltime member of Three 6 Mafia, Knicca continued
to contribute verses to the group's post-2000 albums. Knicca was also a
member of Three 6 Mafia offshoots Da Mafia Six and the Killjoy Club, the
latter a 2014 collaboration with Insane Clown Posse. At the time of his
death, Knicca was working with DJ Paul on a sequel to Knicca's 1994
solo debut
Da Devil's Playground.
"Me and Koop had just started writing his new album
Devil's Playground 2 … but we didn’t get a chance to record yet,” DJ Paul told the
Commercial Appeal.
"We had concerts coming up starting next month too. He also just got a
home in Vegas that he was moving to on Tuesday, but never got to even
see it in person."
Knicca is the second Three 6 Mafia member to die prematurely in
recent years: In December 2013, Knicca's friend and collaborator Ricky
"Lord Infamous" Dunigan
died in his sleep from a heart attack at age 40.
