Mark Morales, best known as Prince Markie Dee and one-third of the Fat Boys, went solo during the '90s with a pair of albums. 1992's Free, billed to Prince Markie Dee & the Soul Convention, combined R&B with rap and was serious as often as it was humorous; though not a solid album by any stretch, the single "Typical Reasons (Swing My Way)" topped Billboard's rap chart, and "Trippin' Out" peaked at number ten. The follow-up to the debut, Love Daddy, didn't come out until 1995. The gap between releases proved to be detrimental, since the album stalled at number 91 on the R&B/hip-hop albums chart. During this period, Morales was also honing his skills as a producer; throughout the '90s and into the early 2000s, he racked up an impressive number of credits, working with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Craig Mack, Shabba Ranks, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, and Lisa Stansfield. Prince Markie Dee died on February 18, 2021; he was one day short of his 53rd birthday. ~ Andy Kellman