Prince Markie Dee of The Fat Boys has passed away at the age of 52.
Born Mark Anthony Morales, Markie Dee was 1/3 of The Fat Boys, which was one of the first rap acts to crossover into the mainstream. After coming up under Kurtis Blow, the Brooklyn trio was apart of the first wave of Hip Hop acts to achieve pop success along with LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Whodini, and others. The Fat Boys appeared in major motion picture films in the 1980s, including Krush Groove and Disorderlies.
Prince Markie Dee is also credited as one of the first major rap stars of Puerto Rican descent. After The Fat Boys broke up, Markie Dee transitioned into a successful solo career as an artist and producer. As a solo artist, he had a number one rap hit with “Typical Reasons (Swing My Way).” As a songwriter and producer, Prince Markie Dee wrote and produced tracks for Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Craig Mack, Mark Anthony, and others.
