UPDATE: AllHipHop has confirmed that Prince Markie Dee died of congestive heart failure.
Hip-Hop has suffered another mighty blow as Prince Markie Dee of The Fat Boys has died suddenly. He was 52 years old.
Born Mark Anthony Morales, Prince Markie Dee came to prominence as 1/3 of the Fat Boys, which was one of the first rap group’s to go pop. With humble Brooklyn roots, the group, comprised of Darren Robinson (The Human Beat Box), Damon Wimbley (Kool Rock Ski), and Morales, came up as understudies of Kurtis Blow and blew up with the likes of LL Cool J, Run DMC, Whodini and others.
For example, The Fat Boys starred in a major motion picture in 1987 with “Disorderlies,” a comedy that had the rappers as a motley crew of medical assistants. Prior to that, they starred in “Krush Groove,” a pseudo biopic about the life of mogul Russell Simmons.
The Fat Boys were touring Europe as The Disco 3 in their mid-teens, as they became rap stars. Soon, however, they changed it in ’84 as they became known for their eating habits. Backed by Kurtis Blow, a hit -making force, the group emerged with their classic, self-titled first album. The group eventually released seven studio albums with four of them going certified gold.
Prince Markie Dee was also one of the first Hip-Hop stars of Puerto Rican descent. Furthermore, he was able to successfully transition into a successful producer and solo act after The Fat Boys disbanded. His solo album, Free, gave birth to a number 1 hit in “Typical Reasons (Swing My Way).”
As a song writer/producer, he wrote and produced tracks for such emerging artists like Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Craig Mack and others like Mark Anthony.
The Prince, as he was also called, would transition into a successful radio personality in Miami, known for his comedic disposition, positive spirit and hijinks. He celebrated his representation in the recent Salt-N-Pepa biopic. In his youth, he dated Sandy “Pepa” Denton.
Prince Markie Dee would have celebrated his 53rd birthday tomorrow, February 19th.
AllHipHop offers deep condolences to the family, friends and fans of Prince Markie Dee.
