Mark “Prince Markie Dee” Morales of the legendary hip hop group, The Fat Boys, has passed away at the age of 52.
Details surrounding Morales’ death are scarce at the moment, but many people have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late emcee. Rock The Bells, where he worked as a radio host and DJ, tweeted their condolences on Thursday (Feb. 18). “The Rock The Bells family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mark ‘Prince Markie Dee’ Morales earlier today,” the official page tweeted. “That voice and his presence can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.”
Questlove took to Instagram to share an old clip of The Fat Boys on the dance TV show, “Soul Train,” and praise their work in hip hop. “Like they were so dope. We just took them for granted. They did dope routines & dance steps, albums went gold & platinum. Did movies & TV & commercials. They explored territories for the first time that today just seems like *yawn* a Tuesday,” he captioned his Instagram post.
He also listed artists who Morales wrote and produced hits for, including Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Coolio, Craig Mack, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Frank Ocean, Destiny’s Child and Macy Gray.
After The Fat Boys, Morales began a solo career and signed with Columbia Records. He released his debut album Free in 1992, which spawned the No. 1 hit single, “Typical Reasons (Swing My Way).” From 2008-2010, the New York native worked as a radio host for 103.5 The Beat WMIB radio in Miami.
Most recently, Morales hosted a radio show on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells, which was founded by LL Cool J. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Morales’ family and friends. Rest in peace.