R.I.P. The Last Mr. Bigg
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The Mobile rapper known as The Last Mr. Bigg or The Real Last Mr. Bigg, widely seen as the most influential rapper to come out of the Port City, has died, a close friend confirmed Wednesday morning.
Shocked social media reports began circulating early Wednesday that Donald Maurice Pears, who was in his early 40s, had died. Rodney Toomer, better known in the area as DJ Rodski, confirmed the death. Toomer said Pears had apparently died in his sleep at his sister's home sometime Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Toomer said that Pears had been performing actively, but that he had been losing weight and experiencing kidney problems in recent months.
While he wasn't widely known to a mainstream audience, Bigg had a thriving independent career from the '90s onward, earning respect far outside southwest Alabama. He released two albums on Warlock Records, and was featured on the hit single "Poppin' My Collar" released in 2006 by Grammy-winning Memphis group Three 6 Mafia.
Jeff Childress, longtime publisher of Real Talk Urban, a magazine focusing on Southeaster rap, said Bigg's legacy was huge, especially when it came to his home area, where he'd been supportive of younger artists. "He was a big supporter of the local scene, he made it big but he always gave back to the local community."
"I knew he had made it big when I went to Cincinnati and they were playing his music on the radio and in the clubs," he said, speaking of a trip in 2002 or 2003.
"He was known all over the Southern region," said Mobile rapper Rod Maine. "They treated him in Atlanta like he was a celebrity."
"He was a big influence," said Maine. "He was one of the originators of the local scene."
The rapper also was prominently featured in a 2010 documentary titled "Number One with a Bullet," focusing on the relationship between rap and gun violence. In the film, Pears describes a 2004 incident in which he was shot twice in the head. He survived, but lost an eye; he later took to wearing a glittering prosthetic, which gave him a second stage name: DiamondEye.
RELATED: Mobile rapper shot twice in the head tells story in upcoming film
Admirers described his stage persona as a mix of ominous imagery and feel-good energy.
"He was more of a performer, like a narrator of the 'hood," said Childress. "He's one of the best performers you'd ever see."
"His signature was performance," said rapper Afori "C-Nile" Pugh, adding that Bigg often performed wearing a mask like that of the murderous character "Jason" from a series of popular horror movies. "His signature was party music, fun music. He always had a sense of humor."
"He was an entertainer," said Toomer. "He had really good, catchy hooks on the recordings, but when you saw him live he'd do Michael Jackson skits, he'd moonwalk, he'd sing 'My Girl,' he would incorporate all these old-school influences into his shows."
"He was a legend here," said Toomer. "No matter what, he was a legend here.
https://youtu.be/EeRRaKxjSTM
The Mobile rapper known as The Last Mr. Bigg or The Real Last Mr. Bigg, widely seen as the most influential rapper to come out of the Port City, has died, a close friend confirmed Wednesday morning.
Shocked social media reports began circulating early Wednesday that Donald Maurice Pears, who was in his early 40s, had died. Rodney Toomer, better known in the area as DJ Rodski, confirmed the death. Toomer said Pears had apparently died in his sleep at his sister's home sometime Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Toomer said that Pears had been performing actively, but that he had been losing weight and experiencing kidney problems in recent months.
While he wasn't widely known to a mainstream audience, Bigg had a thriving independent career from the '90s onward, earning respect far outside southwest Alabama. He released two albums on Warlock Records, and was featured on the hit single "Poppin' My Collar" released in 2006 by Grammy-winning Memphis group Three 6 Mafia.
Jeff Childress, longtime publisher of Real Talk Urban, a magazine focusing on Southeaster rap, said Bigg's legacy was huge, especially when it came to his home area, where he'd been supportive of younger artists. "He was a big supporter of the local scene, he made it big but he always gave back to the local community."
"I knew he had made it big when I went to Cincinnati and they were playing his music on the radio and in the clubs," he said, speaking of a trip in 2002 or 2003.
"He was known all over the Southern region," said Mobile rapper Rod Maine. "They treated him in Atlanta like he was a celebrity."
"He was a big influence," said Maine. "He was one of the originators of the local scene."
The rapper also was prominently featured in a 2010 documentary titled "Number One with a Bullet," focusing on the relationship between rap and gun violence. In the film, Pears describes a 2004 incident in which he was shot twice in the head. He survived, but lost an eye; he later took to wearing a glittering prosthetic, which gave him a second stage name: DiamondEye.
RELATED: Mobile rapper shot twice in the head tells story in upcoming film
Admirers described his stage persona as a mix of ominous imagery and feel-good energy.
"He was more of a performer, like a narrator of the 'hood," said Childress. "He's one of the best performers you'd ever see."
"His signature was performance," said rapper Afori "C-Nile" Pugh, adding that Bigg often performed wearing a mask like that of the murderous character "Jason" from a series of popular horror movies. "His signature was party music, fun music. He always had a sense of humor."
"He was an entertainer," said Toomer. "He had really good, catchy hooks on the recordings, but when you saw him live he'd do Michael Jackson skits, he'd moonwalk, he'd sing 'My Girl,' he would incorporate all these old-school influences into his shows."
"He was a legend here," said Toomer. "No matter what, he was a legend here.
Comments
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RIP, but I have no idea who he is
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Damn R.I.P.
Take that ? to trial ? !
I wonder why they never put out his album on Hypnotize Minds -
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Time to got to trial is a classic in my area, certified classic, without The Source
R.I.P. -
He had a thread on here about him not too long ago. RIP
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Get you twelve white folks and take that ? to trial ? !
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king hassan wrote: »RIP, but I have no idea who he is
If you watched Rap City in the early 2000s you gotta know thishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhrtCa4JyI
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Dat dope taste like ribs
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king hassan wrote: »RIP, but I have no idea who he is
If you watched Rap City in the early 2000s you gotta know thishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhrtCa4JyI
Chuuuuch -
Starting selling dope back in 1986...
RIP mane -
king hassan wrote: »RIP, but I have no idea who he is
If you watched Rap City in the early 2000s you gotta know thishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhrtCa4JyI
Nah, was'nt watching it back then -
Valentinez A. Kaiser wrote: »
word. rip to this dude but he was clearly the second-to-last mr. bigg at best, -
Damn RIP. bama stand up.
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I got bad hoes take that ? to trial and ? check was my ? . cuz had a diamond eye. How he pass?
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Mr biggs was 1 of if not the biggest to come out of bama. Rich boy and ? boys and him put bama on the map
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I started sellin dope back in 1986, i bought a cadillac and put then thangs on that ?
The brains blowed out with the white leather seats
fienders schemin for that butter cuz that other ? is weak
I know that track by heart
RIP Mr. Diamond Eye -
And of course Three 6 Mafia sampled him for that Poppin My Collar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=img8w3ZlcXU
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he had them long fingernails. man RIP.
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I got bad hoes take that ? to trial and ? check was my ? . cuz had a diamond eye. How he pass?
Went in his sleep -
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Damn, dude represented Bama and we use to rock to his music R.I.P.
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king hassan wrote: »RIP, but I have no idea who he is
If you watched Rap City in the early 2000s you gotta know thishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJhrtCa4JyI
South anthem......
RIP to dude. He was rockin shows in ppl's backyards the last I heard from him. Even then, he still had a red bone on his side......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPZ5gq0lAG4 -
"lemme hear u say hoooooooooo" set the ratchet clubs off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mib0er2MkNQ
RIP