Sean Lampkin, who "Martin" fans best know as bar owner Nipsey, has passed away at 54.
“My friend, my last roommate for 10 years, a father and family man, my brother, skate buddy, business partner, and trainer passed away this morning. RIP Sean Lampkin,” his friend, Marsel Watts wrote in a Facebook post making the heartbreaking announcement.
No official cause of death has been announced, however, ESSENCE writer Memnar Grayton confirmed that the actor and comedian died in his sleep.
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“Sean gave us every morning the shining sun to lead his loved ones and friends down paths that are bright and clear of any danger. He gave us streams of love every day when we’re not feeling good, or we don’t seem to not want to do anything,” Grayton wrote.
“But the thought of his loud laugh and adorable smile made you change any negative thoughts to positive ones,” Grayton added. “He’s that type of man. He gave us his time and effort to situations that he had no clue of, but was there to support us for the cause. He gave us his emotions when any family or friend needed sympathy or empathy for their emotional situations.”
Lampkin also appeared in "Bad Boys II", "Life" and "Big Momma’s House".
“BKA as Nipsey the bartender on Martin, The pest control man in Bad Boys, the cab driver in Big Mamas House and the shooter in Life,” Watts added. “He was a black belt in karate too. He worked for Martin Lawrence for decades as his right hand man. No Martin without Sean.”
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According to The Wrap, Lampkin worked as Martin Lawrence’s executive assistant while he shot several movies, including "Wild Hogs", "Blue Streak", "Nothing to Lose" and most recently "Bad Boys For Life" in 2020.
Lampkin is the second "Martin" actor to pass away. Thomas Mikal Ford, who played Tommy on the show, died in 2016 at the age of 52 from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.
Last year, Lampkin joined forces with the rest of the cast on the highly anticipated "Martin" reunion where they gathered to pay tribute to Ford on a recreated Nipsey's set.
Stand-up comic Guy Torry mourned Lampkin through a carousel on Instagram, which included photos of the two comics.
“Rest in POWER brother! My man #SeanLampkin has been called home. #MartinShow #Nipseys What a underrated funny and GOOD dude,” Torry wrote.
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Actor Chris Spencer also paid tribute to Lampkin writing, “Damn. He was an incredible person. Every time we saw each other it was love. He will truly be missed.”
Dying in your sleep
In most cases, when someone dies in their sleep, several codependent organ systems have failed. Most often, heart failure and lung failure are to blame.
Also known as nocturnal death, dying in your sleep can also be due to an unexpected event like a stroke, seizure, or drug overdose. Dying in your sleep is also a possibility if you have an end-stage or terminal disease, epilepsy, carbon monoxide poisoning, diabetes, or a sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea).
The best way to prevent dying in your sleep is to protect yourself from many of the conditions that can cause it. This includes living a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise and getting regular check-ups. If you have diabetes, make sure to keep it under control.
If you may have sleep apnea, you can talk to your ENT doctor about a sleep study. You should also see your cardiologist for heart problems and a pulmonologist for lung failure. Remember to also seek out other specialists as needed.
