According to RollingStone, the Brooklyn trio began their music career in 1983 when they won a Radio City Music Hall talent show, catapulting them into stardom. Their unique sound and fun-loving antics solidified their place in mainstream music, allowing others hip-hop acts to later follow.
Celebrities who have worked with Dee, who became a respected producer later in life, flooded the internet with tributes of his contributions to the genre.
QuestLove, who shared an early video of the trio on Soul Train on Instagram, wrote in a heartfelt tribute, “I wanted to leave this electrifying clip of the #FatBoys on @SoulTrain to show you how mind blowing this trio was when they came out in 1984. I think even Jay[-Z] told me his first album he ever copped was their debut album. I mean yeah now we all take for granted that traditional music really isn’t needed to cold rock a party. But to see THESE cats rock it back then???! OMG! they were the first stadium hip hop headliners… Rest In Peace to Mark Morales, the Puerto Rican Prince, the Fat Boy….#PrinceMarkieDee.”