Fred the Godson (February 22, 1985 – April 23, 2020), born Frederick Thomas, was a hip-hop artist from South Bronx, New York. He spent his early days learning the harsh realities of life on 156th & Fox, an area submerged in drug wars that he struggled to evade. Eventually, Fred dropped out of Monroe High School and began freestyling in the late 1990s:

I always could rhyme when I was a teenager like 12 or 13. I always freestyle’d, but just used that as comedy to snap on people. I’d rhyme about what you got on and I’d just make a crazy rhyme about it off the head and have everybody laughing.

Being a prominent figure in New York hip-hop for nearly a decade, his rise to fame began when he appeared in the 2011 XXL Freshman Class alongside Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., and Mac Miller. During a 2016 Breakfast Club interview, Fred—also known as Gordo—talked about being selected for the prestigious group:

I call that the all-star game. You work through the year and you just keep going, and they just call you out for your individual accolades. The top 11 met up, and that was just crazy to me. That’s the biggest thing thus far to happen to Fred the Godson.

The Bronx-native remained independent and released a slew of acclaimed mixtapes throughout his career, including his first, 2010’s Armageddon, on which he collaborated with fellow New York artists like Busta Rhymes and Styles P. Some of his notable tracks are “Too Fat” which features a sampled Notorious B.I.G. and the Prince-inspired and Pusha T-assisted “Doves Fly.”

Known for his unorthodox rapping technique, Fred’s distinctive style was inspired by artists like Jay-Z, but the South Bronx emcee made it his own by combining witty punchlines, gritty street subject matter, a smooth yet animated flow, elegant wordplay, and catch-you-by-surprise metaphors to create his unique hip-hop persona.

On April 23rd, 2020, at the age of 35, Frederick Thomas passed away from complications due to COVID-19. He is survived by his wife, LeeAnn Jemmott, 2 daughters, Sophie and Sadie, and step-son Jaliek.