Houston area rapper and producer BeatKing dies at 39

Houston rapper BeatKing, known for the viral 2010 single "Crush" and the platinum-selling DJ Chose record "Thick," has died at the age of 39.

Also known as Club Godzilla, the rapper's death was confirmed by his manager, Tasha Felder, on her unverified Instagram page on Thursday.

"BeatKing has been the best part of the club for over a decade," Felder wrote. "He has produced and worked with so many artists, that his sound will forever live on. He loved his daughters @clubgodparenting, his music, and his fans. We will love him forever."

Felder further confirmed BeatKing's death in an email to USA TODAY on Friday, stating that he died from a pulmonary embolism.

"He was at an Urban One (Radio One) station doing a morning takeover when he suddenly fainted," Felder wrote. "He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later passed away. His daughters were with him the entire time. It is truly sad; we loved him so much."

BeatKing rose to fame after the release of "Crush" in the summer of 2010, from his album "Kings of the Club" in 2011. DJ Chose's "Thick," released in July 2020, featured a remix by fellow Houston native Megan Thee Stallion months later.