Sad news going into the Holiday weekend.
Pam The Funkstress has passed away after undergoing successful surgery for an undisclosed medical condition last month.
Chuy Gomez of Hot 105.7 FM San Francisco helped circulate the unfortunate circumstances as the social media tributes poured in.
Born Pam Warren, she gained national recognition across the Hip Hop community for her turntable techniques as a vital component of defiant rap outfit, The Coup. She later earned the nickname “Purple Pam” for being a secret weapon to the late, great Prince, especially during his final farewell, The Piano and a Microphone Tour.
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HipHopDX offers our deepest condolences to family and friends of Pam The Funkstress during this difficult time. Check below for more admiration on her life and career from her peers.
(This article was last updated on November 18, 2017 and can be found below.)
The Coup’s Boots Riley took to Facebook earlier this week to confirm Pam The Funkstress was at a Bay Area hospital ICU fighting for her life. Pam, who was Prince’s personal DJ and member of The Coup, is heralded as a Bay Area Hip Hop legend.
“Pam The Funkstress is in ICU, fighting for her life,” Riley wrote. “She’s stubborn, strong, and a fighter- but could use your thoughts, love, and well wishes in any way you see fit. Her family will show her this post. It will energize her.”
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Pam, or Purple Pam — a nickname she earned because of her work with Prince — provided scratches on many of The Coup tracks, including 1993’s “Kill My Landlord” and 2006’s “Pick a Bigger Weapon.” During Prince’s final tour, the Piano and a Microphone Tour, Pam served as the DJ for many of the shows’ after parties.
On Sunday (November 12), Pam took to Instagram to announce she was experiencing some kind of health issue, but didn’t elaborate any further.
“Do to unforeseen health issues I am forced to cancel all gigs until further notice,” she wrote. “Thank you for understanding. Love you all.”
Many of her peers took to social media to show their support for Purple Pam, including Daveed Diggs and DJ Platurn.
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HipHopDX reached out to Riley, but didn’t hear immediately back.
No further details on Pam’s condition are available at this time.
