KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Culture and Entertainment MInistrer, Olivia “Babsy” Grange has paid tribute to broadcaster and disc jockey Arif “Supa Coop” Cooper, who died at a hospital after he had earlier collapsed while playing at an event on Sunday.
“It is so sad that another of our outstanding personalities in the music industry has left us suddenly and at such a relatively young age… [after] making his name here in Jamaica and on the international scene where he entertained audiences in several US cities and Japan,” Grange said of Cooper, the son of Michael “Ibo” Cooper, the founding member of the internationally renowned group, Third World.
“Arif’s versatility was one of the huge features of the man and was greatly admired by his colleagues in the music industry, especially those whose careers benefited from his talent, and by his fans. He will be sorely missed,” she added.
The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
Cooper, whose son and daughter survive, worked at Fame FM for nearly 25 years and began playing at parties in the early 1990s. He started his production label Fresh Ear Productions in 1998 and scored massive success in 2007 with the Guardian Angel rhythm, with several hits, including Hold My Hand by Sean Paul.
“Arif was a musical genius. His contribution to music will always be remembered. The passion in which he played stuck out like a sore thumb,” said deejay Mr. G aka Goofy.
The promoter of the retro party series Yesterday – Best of the 90s, Gyete Ghartey, recalled that Arif was always a crowd favorite.
“He was easy to work with, and his playing skills as a DJ were a notch above the rest,” Ghartey told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.
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