Before there was Fat Joe, Big Pun or Biggie, there were The Fat Boys. The Brooklyn-born friends parlayed a win at a rap contest in the 1980s into a record deal, movie roles, and even an appearance on “Hollywood Squares.”
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But after a crossover collab with The Beach Boys, the group that was originally named The Disco Three, felt their mainstream success had taken them too far away from their hip-hop roots and led to their breakup.
Although two of the three founding members have passed away, Damon “Kool Rock-Ski” Wimbley, the last surviving member of The Fat Boys insists they have solidified their place in hip-hop history.
This is the story of the highs and lows of The Fat Boys.
Brooklyn Born
Brooklyn-born Damon “Kool Rock-Ski” Wimbley, Darren “Buff Love” Robinson (aka “The Human Beat Box”) and Mark “Prince Markie Dee” Morales grew up rapping together around their East New York neighborhood, calling themselves The Disco Three.
While most of the pioneering artists of the time came out of the Bronx, The Fat Boys would soon put their sound and Brooklyn on the map.
A Life-Changing Contest
In 1983, The Disco Three entered a rap contest that would change their lives forever. And although they beat out hundreds of other competitors to take the top spot, they got involved with their sights set on the second-place prize.
“We wanted the DJ equipment,” Wimbley said in a 2022 interview on Sway’s Universe. “We didn’t know what a record contract could actually do for us.”
The friends went on to win the Tin Pan Apple After Dark Dance & Rap Contest, organized by Swiss-born promoter Charlie Stettler, and cashed in on the first place package – a recording contract…and an Atari 2600 game console!
A Name Change
Kurtis Blow helped the guys get off the ground, producing their first single, “Fat Boys,” the title track of their first album. Because there was already a Harlem-based group performing as The Disco Four, Blow helped the group with a rebranding campaign by hosting a name-changing party.
“At the Roseland Ballroom in 1984 we changed our name from Disco Three to Fat Boys,” Wimbley told Sway’s Universe in 2022.
“Human Beat Box”
The trio released their first studio album, “Fat Boys” in 1984. One of the most memorable tracks was “Human Beat Box.” The song has no funky soul samples, no DJ scratches, just rhymes over a beatbox – percussion sounds made by the tongue, lips and vocal cords.
Although the original song doesn’t include any samples, it has been sampled over 170 times by artists including The Roots (“Thought @ Work”) and Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick and The Get Fresh Crew (”The Show”)
“Can You Feel It?”
Kurtis Blow helped The Fat Boys another hit, co-writing the cold cut “Can You Feel It?” with Prince Markie Dee and Buff Love for the first album.
Always Fresh
It’s no secret how The Fat Boys got their name, but even though they were large, they were never short on style. Here, the guys were spotted out in New York City in designer hat and jacket combos from Harlem fashion legend Dapper Dan.
“Krush Groove”
The Fat Boys made their first big screen appearance in the 1985 film “Krush Groove.” Blair Underwood stars as Russell Walker, a young music producer who is trying to build a successful hip-hop label from the ground up. The film, which also stars Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J and New Edition, is inspired by the real-life launch of Russell Simmons’s Def Jam.
“Disorderlies”
In the summer of 1987, The Fat Boys found their way back to the big screen. But this time, they weren’t playing rappers. The comedy “Disorderlies” starred The Fat Boys as goofy orderlies who were charged to care for an elderly man by a greedy nephew who wants to cash in on his inheritance. But the plan backfires when the “Disorderlies’” antics help cheer the man up. The film didn’t win any awards, but it is an 80s pop culture classic.
“Wipeout”
Run D.M.C. had a major crossover success in 1986 with their Aerosmith collab, “Walk This Way.” Record executives thought The Fat Boys could do the same. Their single “Wipeout,” from their fourth studio album “Crushin’,” was their take on The Surfari’s 1963 song, “Wipe Out.” The song would be The Fat Boys’s most successful song, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Crushin’” Came With a Cost
Although “Crushin’” would be The Fat Boys best-selling album and their only to achieve platinum status, they would eventually regret straying away from their hip-hop roots.
“I’ll be absolutely honest with you, Crushin’ was our worst album to do, even though it was our most successful,” Morales told Rolling Stone in an interview. “We felt like it was the beginning of our downfall, specifically because of ‘Wipeout.’ … Before Crushin’, we just made regular hip-hop music, but when we started doing crossover songs, a lot of our audience didn’t want us to do that.”
The End of The Fat Boys
The Fat Boys officially broke up in 1989 as Prince Markie Dee left the group to pursue a solo career. He went to have success as a songwriter, penning hits for artists including Mary J. Blige (“Real Love”) and Father M.C. (“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”)
A Tragic Loss
The Fat Boys suffered a devastating loss in 1995 when Darren Robinson (aka The Human Beat Box) passed away at age 28. According to The New York Times, the group’s manager, Charles Stettler, confirmed that Robinson, who was 450 pounds at the time, died of cardiac arrest during a bout with respiratory flu.
“The Fat Boys & Buff always stole the show on stage with his talents and his dope personality,” wrote Bowlegged Lou of the group Full Force in an Instagram tribute to Robinson.
Prince Markie Dee’s Passing
On February 18, 2021, the group lost another one of its founding members when Mark Morales (aka Prince Markie Dee) passed away at age 52.
His manager and best friend, Louis “Uncle Louie” Gregory, told TMZ that Morales went to the hospital the day before his 53rd birthday as he experienced swollen hands and feet. Doctors discovered a blockage in his heart, but Morales tragically passed away before they were able to put in a stent to improve blood flow.
Lasting Legacy
Although Kool-Rock-Ski is the last surviving member of the group, he told DJ Vlad in a 2021 interview that the legacy of The Fat Boys has been solidified.
“We went on a five-album run of successful albums. That’s hard to do for anybody, even now,” he said.
While the group will never perform on stage together again, Ski says the music is still there.
“People are gonna love Buff and they’re gonna love Mark forever,” he added.
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