The “FAT BOYS” was a trio of “hip-hopsters” and were well known, especially for “beat-boxing,” which is “a musical style or technique, especially in ‘hiphop,’ in which the sounds and rhythm of percussion instruments or a drum machine are simulated by using the mouth, lips, tongue, and/or voice to create ‘funk’ rhythms.” (www.dictionary. com and www.yourdictionary.com)
This group was especially popular in the ‘80s and had quite a few popular albums. Their initial album, Fat Boys, (1984) went GOLD. Crushin’ went PLATINUM! Not only did the group sell millions of albums and singles, they also had their music featured in two movies—Disorderlies and Krush Groove.
One member of the “Fat Boys” was PRINCE MARKIE DEE (one of the founding members), who wrote countless songs and formed his own band in 1993. It was known as “Prince Markie Dee and the Soul Convention” and released a popular rhythm and blues hit, titled—”Swing My Way.”
Besides founding this group, “Prince Markie Dee” also worked with some notable “Pop” stars—including Jennifer Lopez and “Destiny’s Child,” in addition to hosting a radio show in Miami, Florida.
Let’s go back a little to fill in some blanks. “Prince Markie Dee” was actually named Mark Morales when he was born in Brooklyn. Later, he teamed with Darren Robinson and Damon Wimbley (“Kool Rockski”), and the trio took on the name of “Disco 3.” In 1984, they won a “rap” contest in Brooklyn, which initiated a record deal, which led to a European tour.
Then, they were young and carefree and impetuous and “went wild” with the “room service” availability, which resulted in really high bills. Their Promoter was not in the least amused or happy and derogatorily began calling them “FAT BOYS,” and “the rest (as ‘they’ say) is history.”
“Rock the Bells,” a SiriusXM station, recently announced the death of Mark Morales, better known as Prince Markie Dee of “The Fat Boys,” and the news release did not mention a cause. He was only 52 years of age, and his former manager, Louis Gregory, noted on Twitter that “this artist was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks, as I have lost a brother.”
Darren Robinson has also passed on, leaving only Damon ”Kool Rockski” Wimbley of the trio.
I will admit that I had always wondered how they acquired the “Fat Boys” nickname and wondered if they were being ridiculed for weight. I was glad to learn that there was a more good-natured reason! And though I am not much of a “rap” fan, I must add that I found quite a bit of their music “catchy.”
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