RIP James Brown -- Godfather of Soul

According to his representatives, Brown, 73, was admitted to Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday, suffering from pneumonia.

He died around 1:45 a.m. with manager Charles Bobbitt by his side.

"We really don't know at this point what he died of," Brown's agent Frank Copsidas told the Associated Press.

Rapper Nas, who incorporated a portion of Brown's song "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" on the song "Where Are They Now" from his latest album Hip-Hop Is Dead, was lucky enough to meet Brown before his passing.

"I spoke in front of hundreds in his honor," Nas told AllHipHop.com in a statement today (Dec. 25). "I looked directly at him. He smiled while I told him how I used his music with mine and how much he's done for us and how I love him. I'm lucky to have had that moment, shook his hand. He was pure greatness."

The news of Brown's death evoked a statement from United States president George W. Bush Jr.

"Laura and I are saddened by the death of James Brown," Bush said in a statement. "For half a century, the innovative talent of the "Godfather of Soul" enriched our culture and influenced generations of musicians. An American original, his fans came from all walks of life and backgrounds. James Brown's family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers this Christmas."

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