Five years have already passed since rapper the late Big Joe left the world.
Big Joe died at the age of 43 on Jan. 6, 2021, after his condition worsened while recovering from surgery to remove an internal infection at a hospital in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. His sudden death at the time shocked not only the hip-hop community but also the many members of the public who supported him.
Big Joe, who was born to an American father and a Korean mother, debuted in 2008 with the hip-hop group "Holla Dang". His debut song "Bit Dam Da Di" won great love with its addictive melody and Big Joe's heavy rapping. At the time, he was at the center of attention for his overwhelming physique, standing 186 cm tall and weighing more than 250 kg.
Given his massive body, Big Joe's life was a struggle with his health. In 2013 he began dieting with trainer Sean Lee and lost about 150 kg, writing a human victory drama, but due to yo-yo effects and chronic illness his weight rose again to 320 kg and his health deteriorated rapidly.
Even amid the crisis of having to stop activities, he did not give up. Together with colleagues BJ Park Sajang and Eom Sang-yong, he was active on new media platforms such as YouTube and AfreecaTV under the name "Big 3," communicating with fans. Even when he had difficulty moving, he tried to make people laugh with his characteristic wit and kind personality, and his appearance became a source of hope for many.
However, just before his death, while hospitalized to manage chronic illnesses such as heart failure and diabetes, he did not recover from the poor prognosis of the infection surgery and ultimately could not rise again. At the time, Park Sajang told OSEN in a phone interview, "He finished the surgery normally and was recovering when he went into cardiac arrest. As his obesity worsened, he had heart failure, diabetes and blood circulation problems, and it seems the timing of the treatment was late," he said sadly.
Afterwards, Park Sajang and Holla Dang founding member Nabi released Big Joe's posthumous ballad hip-hop song "Heunoni." Park Sajang said Big Joe suddenly suggested releasing the song just before he died and that he was the first to record it. Also, Big Joe's mother, who had been struggling financially, paid the hospital and funeral expenses she received in sponsorship and donated the remaining money, adding meaning.
[OSEN]