Percy Forrest, a notable figure in the Bronx, New York City hip-hop community and experienced manager affiliated with Fat Joe’s Terror Squad group, was fatally stabbed in a nightclub in Astoria, Queens, New York City. Forrest was 55 years old at the time of his death.
The incident took place at around 2:20 a.m. on November 11, 2024, at the Agenda Restaurant and Lounge. Forrest, having suffered chest injuries, was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital where he was later pronounced dead by the medical team.
Although an initial arrest was made following the incident, the suspect was subsequently released by the authorities. Since then, the New York Police Department has been tight-lipped about potential suspects in the case.
Forrest had established a name for himself in the music industry through his enduring friendship with Fat Joe, which started during their kindergarten years. Family members remembered Forrest once saying, “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.”
Forrest’s 33-year-old daughter, Denise Forrest, highlighted her father’s widespread recognition in the music industry. She stated that her father and Fat Joe were best friends and that he was well-respected in the industry.
Prior to his career in music management, Forrest was part of a four-member dance group, Up Town’s Hottest. After retiring from performing, he managed an R&B group and ran a ticket resale business. Later, Fat Joe extended him an invitation to join Terror Squad, a hip-hop collective active from 1998 to 2006, on the stipulation that Forrest leave his street life behind.
Forrest’s widow, Yulonda Paul, fondly remembered their first encounter at a skating rink over three decades ago. The couple was planning her 50th birthday celebration before his untimely death.
Apart from music management, Forrest owned a talent agency and worked as a celebrity concierge, gaining exclusive access to restaurant reservations and events.
Forrest’s life was not without legal difficulties. He spent 18 months at Rikers Island before charges were dropped in a 2011 Harlem murder case. He also served three and a half years for a Manhattan assault conviction in 1995. Fat Joe has since praised Forrest’s capacity to forgive those who did not stand by him during these times.
On the night of his death, Forrest was at the 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.”
