Big Pokey

Milton Jerome Powell Jr.^[1] (November 29, 1974 – June 18, 2023), better known by his stage name Big Pokey, was an American rapper. Big Pokey was associated with chopped and screwed music, and was one of the original members of the Screwed Up Click.^[2][3]

Big Pokey
Background information
Born	Milton Jerome Powell Jr. (1974-11-29)November 29, 1974 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	June 18, 2023(2023-06-18) (aged 48) Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Southern hip-hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	1995–2023
Labels	Presidential
Formerly of	Screwed Up Click

Biography

Milton Powell was born on November 29, 1974, in Houston, Texas. He attended Yates High School, where he played football and became close friends with George Floyd.^[4]

Known via a variety of nicknames, including Big Poyo and Podina, Big Pokey burst onto the Houston rap scene in the early 1990s as a member of his friend DJ Screw's friend group-turned rap collective Screwed Up Click.^[5] Big Pokey was featured on DJ Screw's mixtape "June 27th Freestyle" which became a landmark album in chopped and screwed hip hop.^[6][7]

In early 1999, he made his solo debut with his first full-length album, Hardest Pit in the Litter.^[8] The following year, Pokey returned with D-Game 2000, another album of mid-tempo 808-driven beats featuring several of his Houston peers as guests. In 2001, he collaborated with the Wreckshop Wolfpack for Tha Collabo and then returned in 2002 with another solo album, Da Sky's Da Limit. In 2004, a clip of Pokey's song "Who Dat Talkin Down" was featured in the pilot episode of HBO's Entourage.^[9] Pokey was featured on Paul Wall's 2005 hit single "Sittin' Sidewayz" which peaked at #93 on US Billboard Hot 100.^[10]

Death

On June 17, 2023, Powell collapsed from a heart attack while performing at a bar called Pour 09 in Beaumont, Texas.^[11][12] He was taken to a hospital in the city and died overnight on June 18, at the age of 48.^[11][13] An autopsy found that he had atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease.^[11]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and information

Year	Title	Peak chart positions
		Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[14]	Independent Albums[15]	Heatseekers Albums[16]
1999	Hardest Pit in the Litter Label: Chevis Entertainment	72	—	47
2000	D-Game 2000 Label: Chevis Entertainment	71	31	38
2001	Tha Collabo (with The Wreckshop Wolfpack) Label: Wreckshop Records	74	21	31
2002	Da Sky's da Limit Label: Wreckshop Records	47	46	46
2008	Evacuation Notice Label: Koch Records	75	—	—
2021	Sensei Label: Mob Style Music Group, Win Or Regret, SoSouth	—	—	—

Mixtapes

• 2003: Mob 4 Life (with Chris Ward)
• 2004: A Bad Azz Mix Tape Vol. 3
• 2004: The Best Of Big Pokey II (8ighted & Chopped)
• 2005: Since The Grey Tapes Vol. 3 (with Lil' Keke)
• 2007: On Another Note
• 2008: Keep On Stackin, Vol. 3: Smoked Out... Beatin!!! (with Lil C)
• 2008: Screwed Up Gorillaz (with E.S.G.)
• 2010: Warning Shot

See also

• Houston hip hop