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Fred the Godson

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Fred the Godson
Fred the Godson in 2016
Fred the Godson in 2016
Background information
Birth nameFrederick Thomas
Born(1985-02-22)February 22, 1985
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 2020(2020-04-23) (aged 35)
Bronx, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • photographer
  • disc jockey
Years active2000–2020
Labels
  • E1
  • Take Over

Frederick Thomas (February 22, 1985 – April 23, 2020),[1] known as Fred the Godson, was an American DJ and rapper from The Bronx, New York.[2][3] He was the first high-profile hip hop personality to have died from COVID-19 in April 2020; the early stages of the pandemic.[4]

Early life

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Frederick Thomas was born on February 22, 1985, and grew up in The Bronx, New York City. He gained an early nickname of "Big Bronx".[1]

He started freestyling in the early 2000s.[1]

Career

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Thomas's music was characterized by his husky voice, humorous wordplay, and creative rhymes.[1] In the early-2010s, he released two mixtapes; his debut was Armageddon in 2010, featuring samples of The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes and Cam'ron.[3] His second release, City of God, was one of a series for DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz,[1] and featuring Pusha T and Raekwon.[2]

In 2011, XXL included him in its annual Freshman class of up-and-comers.[2]

Between 2011 and 2020, Thomas released music and performed regularly, guest DJ-ing on New York radio station based in Hudson Hot 97,[3] and collaborated with artists including Pusha T, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, and Raekwon, as well as releasing the answer song, "Monique's Room".[1] He released two additional mixtapes in 2020, Training Day in January with Jay Pharoah, and Payback, released on March 20, 2020, which would be his last release before his death from COVID-19 one month later.[3]

Personal life

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Thomas was married to LeeAnn Jemmott; they had two daughters.[1][5]

Thomas was reported to be suffering from acute asthma and kidney problems, after contracting COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic, and by April 6, 2020, his fever had abated in hospital, according to his publicist and his Instagram account.[2][6][7] His wife told media on April 9 that she was concerned he was going to die,[5] but the next day, said he was "going to make it", and was being weaned from a ventilator.[6][8]

Thomas died at Montefiore Medical Center on April 23, 2020, due to complications of COVID-19.[9] He was 35.[1][2][3]

Legacy

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On February 22, 2021, what would've been his 36th birthday, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. honored Fred by giving him his own street co-name on the block of his childhood home that he grew up in.[10] Special appearances were made by Sway Calloway, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Jaquae, Mysonne and Justina Valentine.

Discography

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  • Armageddon (2010)
  • City of God (2011)
  • Gordo Frederico (2012)
  • Contraband (2013)
  • Fat Boy Fresh (2014)
  • Contraband II (2016)
  • Gordo (2017)
  • Gorilla Glue (2019) (with Joell Ortiz and The Heatmakerz)
  • God Level (2019)
  • Training Day (2020) (with Jay Pharoah)
  • Payback (2020)
  • Ascension (2021) (posthumous)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Caramanica, Jon (April 24, 2020). "Fred the Godson, Nimble New York Rapper, Dies at 41". New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kaufman, Gil (April 23, 2020). "Fred the Godson Dies at 35 From Coronavirus". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Jon (April 24, 2020). "Fred The Godson, New York Hip-Hop Fixture, Dead At 35 From COVID-19 Complication". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. ^ https://abc7ny.com/amp/covid-vaccine-fred-the-godson-frederick-thomas-street-renaming/10362768/
  5. ^ a b "Rapper Fred The Godson diagnosed with COVID-19, fighting for his life". Bronx News 12. April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  6. ^ a b White, Roman (April 22, 2020). "Source: Fred The Godson's Kidneys 'Not Working' But Fever Improvement is 'Big'". Source (magazine). Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  7. ^ Fred the Godson (April 6, 2020). "Fred the Godson's Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  8. ^ Woods, Aleia (April 9, 2020). "Fred the Godson's Wife Says He's Fighting for His Life After Coronavirus Diagnosis". XXL (magazine). Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  9. ^ Lewis, Jon (April 24, 2020). "Fred The Godson, New York Hip-Hop Fixture, Dead At 35 From COVID-19 Complications". NPR.org. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Thomas, Datwon (February 22, 2021). "Fat Joe, Jim Jones and Bronx Community Celebrate Fred The Godson's Street Naming On His Birthday". VIBE.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
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