Culture Minister 'deeply saddened' over DJ Arif Cooper's death

Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange has joined the outpouring of grief and shock over the passing of disc jockey, radio broadcaster and music producer, Arif Cooper, who died while playing at a party in St Andrew early Sunday morning.

Grange said she is "deeply saddened" and that Cooper will be "sorely missed".

“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,” the minister said, upon learning of the news.

“We saw Arif following his famous father, Michael 'Ibo' Cooper, a founder of Third World Band, into music and making his own name here in Jamaica and on the international scene where he entertained audiences in a number of United States cities and in Japan. 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 benefitted from his talent, and by his fans," she said in a statement. 

Cooper was playing at a party at the Police Officers' Club on Hope Road when he reportedly collapsed. He was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Up to his death, he was a DJ and broadcaster at FAME FM, a radio station in the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. 

Singer Nadine Sutherland offered condolences to the family on Twitter. "Because of the large amounts of death I have experienced over the last couple [of] years, I feel like I am an OG. But waking up to the news of Arif Cooper's transition hit me like a ton of bricks! My heart is breaking for Ibo, Joy, his children, family, friends and fans. What is man?" the tweet read.

"This is sad news this morning. RIP #ArifCooper and condolences to your family (especially Dad Ibo and Mom) and friends, especially with the wider music and media fraternity," said cultural studies and music scholar, Dr Sonjah Stanley Niaah.

Event manager Matthew Lawrence said on Twitter: "Arif was a DJ we grew up on. Very skilled DJ and great producer, he loved music to the core. His 'Guardian Angel' riddim is one of my favourites. He was well respected, Kartel told me personally that Arif prob the only person that can get him to actually write lyrics on paper."

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