Three 6 Mafia member Koopsta Knicca, whose real name was Robert Phillips, has sadly passed away. The rapper died early Friday in Memphis after suffering a massive stroke on Sunday. He was just 40 years old.
The group's publicist Dove Clark confirmed his death along with his group mate and producer "DJ Paul" Bauregrard, according to Commercial Appeal. DJ Paul, who considered Koopsta a brother, said that he "went in peace."
"Everyone who knew Koop knew he was very funny and the coolest guy ever," he continued to say. "He will be missed. We made classics together that'll live on."
The rapper had been on life support since last weekend, according to Rolling Stone. On Wednesday, when they realized things weren't looking too good, a GoFundMe page was created for his fans. "Doctors have advised that arrangements should be prepared for Koop," the page read. "And that he is in need of a miracle."
Former group member Juicy J posted a photo of Koopsta to his Instagram. "R.I.P. koopsta Knicca we made history!" he wrote. "You will be missed #mafia4life prayers up for the family."
Koopsta was a part of Three 6 Mafia alongside DJ Paul, Juicy J, Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black and Gangsta Boo from the beginning when their first album dropped in 1995, according to E! News. They are best known for their hits "Stay Fly," "Sippin on Some Syrup," and "Poppin' My Collar."
He remained a member of the group until 1999 when he went on to pursue a solo career with his album "Da Devil's Playground: Underground Tape." He later rejoined with Crunchy Black and DJ Paul to form a new group Da Mafia 6ix and they released their first album in 2013.
As of recently, he had been working on a follow-up album to his solo one. "Me and Koop had just started writing his new album 'Devil's Playground 2," DJ Paul said. "We had concerts coming up starting next month too. He also just got a hoe in Vegas that he was moving to on Tuesday, but never got to even see it in person."
This isn't the first time Three 6 Mafia is dealing with loss, according to Us Weekly. Back in 2013, former group member Ricky "Lord Infamous" Dunigan died of a heart attack. He was also 40.
A few days ago, DJ Paul asked his followers to pray for Koopsta.
"We gota pray harder for @koopstaknicca36 yall!" he captioned a photo of the rapper. "He had an Aneurysm yesterday in its blood on his brain. Dr. said we need a miracle & I believe in those so lets get one for my brother yall!!!! Koop is the same age as Lord." He kept his fans updated as he informed them over the next few days that he was still breathing and wasn't going to go out "without a fight."
