Frederick Thomas, the rapper known as Fred The Godson, was one of the dopest underground rappers and lyricists from the Bronx. His wordplay, flow, and punchlines made him a popular fixture in the rap game.

"He was top tier in lyrics and bars. He was that guy," artist J Diamondz said.

Thomas was raised in the Bronx -- in fact one of his nicknames was Big Bronx. He burst onto the mix tape rap scene in a big way in 2010, with a pair of acclaimed releases. He never signed with a major label but was considered a rising star who performed regularly and collaborated on a number of projects with big names like French Montana and Pusha T.

He was working on a new project when he fell ill with the new coronavirus. On April 6, the rapper asked for prayers in a post on Instagram that also showed him on ventilator. On Thursday, friends got the news he took a turn for the worst and died at Montefiore Medical Center.

"I was just distraught because couple days prior to that, he was doing well. I was told he was doing well. The whole hip-hop community was sending out their prayers for him," J Diamondz said.

News of Thomas's death went viral with rappers like Nas, French Montana, and Fat Joe expressing their loss on social media. Fat Joe called Thomas his little brother, saying, "so many conversations so many great times we had. I am in shock to say the least. I love you so much."

Thomas recently collaborated on a song with J Diamondz.

"I’ve known Fred for several years, and for me it’s just a personal loss because me and him we had a video to do. We had a record that we didn’t release yet. I was looking forward to doing a video with him because I looked up to him as a real dope MC," J Diamondz said.

Outside of the music, many say Thomas will be also remembered for his positive energy and being a family man. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters. A childhood friend said he was only 41 years old.