South Bronx rapper Fred The Godson is dead at the age of 35 after a battle with COVID-19, according to his many friends and celebrities who are mourning the rapper’s unexpected passing. Fred, born Fredrick Thomas, revealed to his Instagram followers on April 6 that he had been admitted to the hospital after contracting the coronavirus. The photo, which you can see below, showed Fred lying in a hospital bed while using a ventilator. “I’m in here wit this Corvus 19 sh*t! Please keep me in y’all prayers!!!!” Fred wrote, using multiple prayer hand emojis. He tagged the photo “#godisgreat”. Here’s five things to know about the late rapper, following his tragic death:
1. His close friends, DJ Self and Jaquae, broke the news of his death on April 23. DJ Self let Fred’s fans know that the rapper had passed away with an Instagram post, writing that he “was loved… I had never heard one thing about you RIP @fredthegodsonmusic Sleep Well my brother.” Jaquae honored Fred as well, writing on Instagram, “Sleep in peace my brother…. You’ll never be forgotten. LOVE U MAN. I have so much things to say but I’m lost right now.”
2. He broke into the music scene in 2011 as part of the XXL Freshman class. Fred appeared on the cover of the prestigious April 11, solidifying him as a rising star in what the magazine called a “rap recession.” Other members of that legendary class included: Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., Cyhi the Prynce, Lil Twist, Yelawolf, Mac Miller, YG, Lil B, Kendrick Lamar, and Diggy Simmons.
3. He collaborated with some titans of the rap scene. Fred was featured on tracks with stars like Diddy, Meek, Lil Kim, and Pusha-T, like “Daddy Getting Money”, “I Go”, and “Gettin Money Part 2”. Before being diagnosed with COVID-19, Fred dropped a solo project, called God Level. The 10-track LP featured the hit lead single “Retaliation”. He was also working on a collaborative release with Saturday Night Live alum Jay Pharoah. Called Training Day, the comedy LP was an 11-track homage to the 2001 film, including Denzel Washington impressions from Jay.
4. He was a gifted freestyler. Fred would often appear on hip hop radio stations in New York to drop freestyle raps. That included a killer freestyle he did for Funk Flex in 2017. Listen HERE.
5. His friends, collaborators, and admirers in the industry flooded social media with tributes after his death. “RIP TO THE LYRICAL GENIUS!” Mike Ruga commented on Fred’s hospitalization post. “Rest easy bro,” Fat Papi commented, as traeabn commented, “Damn!!! This Hurt To Hear,” including the prayer hands and heart emojis. “Rest easy my love,” LA Love the Boss wrote. “Stay Home and don’t trust anything that says different until you are shown medical facts about this pandemic being under control. Salute Fred The Godson Forever,” Freddie Foxxx tweeted.
HollywoodLife did not receive an immediate response upon reaching out to Fred the Godson’s family for comment.