NEW YORK (AP) — A member of the Fat Boys hip-hop trio who later formed his own band and became a well-known radio host, Prince Markie Dee has died at 52.
His death was announced Thursday by the SiriusXM station Rock The Bells, which did not provide a cause of death.
Born Mark Morales in Brooklyn, Prince Markie Dee was a founding member of the group that released several popular albums in the 1980s.
The nickname "fat boys" came about after the trio won a rap contest in Brooklyn in 1984. While touring in Europe, the group, known then as Disco 3, ran-up room service bill, so their promoter began calling them fat boys, according to The Associated Press.
In 1993, Morales formed Prince Markie Dee & The Soul Convention, which released the R&B hit "Swing My Way."
Morales also worked with several pop stars, including Destiny's Child and Jennifer Lopez, and as a radio host in Miami.
Per The AP, Fat Boys manager Louis Gregory said on Twitter, “Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper. He was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother.”
