Mark Anthony Morales, known as Prince Markie Dee of the rap group Fat Boys and a successful composer and producer for Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and others, died, according to his manager, Louie “Uncle Louie” Gregory. He was 52 years old.
Although the Fat Boys were often considered a novelty in early hip-hop, they amassed a number of successful albums throughout the 1980s and appeared in the popular films “Krush Groove” and “Disorderlies”. Morales was one of the group’s leading rappers, songwriters and producers and had a successful solo career, releasing the album “Free” in 1992 by Columbia, which included the hit “Typical Reasons (Swing My Way)” and “Love Daddy” Na Motown three years later.
The group generated by Brookyn – Morales, Darren Robinson (The Human Beat Box) and Damon Wimbley (Kool Rock Ski) – emerged under the tutelage of Kurtis Blow and benefited from his association with Russell Simmons, one of the main executives of the early world of the hip-hop (although at the time it was rumored that Madonna originally wanted the Fat Boys to open their “Like a Virgin” tour in 1985, but Simmons hastened her new act, the Beastie Boys).
Originally known as Disco 3, they embraced their great physicists and made an immediate success with their self-titled debut album. The group was featured on the legendary “Fresh Fest” tours of 1984 and 85, which also featured Blow, Run-DMC, Whodini and, on the second tour, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Far from being a one-hit wonder, the group had a steady streak of gold albums, with “Crushin ‘” from 1987 (their debut on the affiliate label PolyGram Tin Pan Apple) earning platinum. Morales was also one of the first hip-hop stars of Latin descent.
As Questlove said in an Instagram post in honor of Morales on Thursday, “They were figuratively (no jokes about weight) the biggest act of hip hop at any time. As the first act that showed that this culture can have some real international legs. As if they were so stupid that we just considered them right. They did choreography and dance moves, the albums won gold and platinum. I made films, TV and commercials. They explored territories for the first time that today seem to * yawn * on a Tuesday. “
After the group split in the early 1990s, Morales went on to produce Blige’s first hits – including his first hit, “Real Love” – Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Craig Mack and Marc Anthony. From 2008, he worked as a popular radio DJ in Miami.
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