Percy Forrest, a prominent figure in the Bronx hip-hop scene and longtime manager associated with rapper Fat Joe’s Terror Squad collective, died after being stabbed at a Queens, New York City nightclub. He was 55.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:20 a.m. on November 11, 2024, at the Agenda Restaurant and Lounge in Astoria, Queens. After sustaining chest wounds, Forrest was transported to Elmhurst Hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead.
While initial investigations led to one arrest, authorities later released the suspect. The New York Police Department has remained quiet about potential suspects since then.
Forrest built his reputation in the music industry through a decades-long friendship with Fat Joe that began in their kindergarten years. According to family members, Forrest once recalled, “I was the baddest black guy in the school, Joe was the baddest Puerto Rican in the school, and we would always meet each other in the principal’s office. One day we was looking at each other and was like, ‘Wassup, wassup’, and we started laughing and became best friends.”
His daughter, Denise Forrest, 33, emphasized her father’s industry connections, stating that in the music industry overall, he was very well known. He and Fat Joe were best friends.
Before entering music management, Forrest performed with a four-person dance group called Up Town’s Hottest. After leaving performance behind, he managed an R&B group while operating a ticket resale business. Fat Joe later offered him an opportunity to join Terror Squad, a hip-hop collective active from 1998 to 2006, on the condition that Forrest leave street activities behind.
His widow, Yulonda Paul, shared memories of their first meeting at a skating rink over 30 years ago. The couple had been planning her upcoming 50th birthday celebration before his death.
Beyond music management, Forrest operated a talent agency and served as a celebrity concierge, securing exclusive restaurant reservations and event access.
Forrest’s life included legal challenges. He served 18 months at Rikers Island before dismissal of charges in a 2011 Harlem murder case. He also served three and a half years for a 1995 Manhattan assault conviction. Fat Joe later praised Forrest’s ability to forgive those who didn’t support him during these periods.
On the night of his death, Forrest visited Agenda Lounge, a venue he knew well. According to family members, his daughter Denise said, “I cannot even fathom what occurred. I just wish it was a night that he did not go. I heard it was really really crowded that night.”lly crowded that night.”