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The Fat Boys Deliver on “Pizza Box” Reissue
Artist:  The Fat Boys
Title:  The Fat Boys
Label:  TPA


28 years after its debut, the self-titled first LP from Hip-Hop pioneers The Fat Boys sees a stateside CD release for the first time.  A buffet of golden-age beats and rhymes is waiting for listeners when they slide this into a CD player.

The hefty Brooklyn-bred trio—emcees Mark “Prince Markie Dee” Morales and Damon “Kool Rock-Ski” Wimbley, along with vocal-percussion prodigy Darren “Buff Love” Robinson-- began their career as The Disco 3 in the Reagan-era 1980s.  Still teenagers at the time, the group entered a rap contest, where they won first prize—a record deal with Sutra Records.  Reportedly, the guys were kind of disappointed as they had their eyes on the second-prize home stereo.

The contest’s promoter, Charles Stettler, hooked them up with “The Breaks” megastar (and Russell Simmons affiliate) Kurtis Blow.  A string of catchy hit singles soon followed—and running a big tab on hotel room-service reportedly cemented the guys’ formal name change.

Overall, there’s a lot more going on here than most might assume.  No 60s-pop covers or collabos with the Beach Boys or Chubby Checker to be found here.  This is strictly Mark and Kool on the mic, Buff on the beatbox and Blow behind the boards.  Blow was at the peak of his powers here as a producer, including Run-DMC collaborators Larry Smith and Davy DMX in the mix of session musicians.  Sampling wasn’t the norm yet in Hip-Hop; indeed, live instruments are the rule, not the exception, here.

The remastered set leads off with “Jail House Rap”, a nod to staying on the right side of the law.  Don’t get it twisted, though—for the uninitiated, this isn’t a trap-rap lament about the dope game, but instead a series of food-frenzy fantasies on wax.  In retrospect, the straightforward delivery helps sell what could have been damning self-parody.  But getting your grub on wasn’t the only thing the Boys had to offer.  “Stick ‘Em” is a ferocious a cappella showcasing Buff’s raw beatbox, and the title cut announces who the Boys are and why listeners should pay attention:  “Prince Markie Dee, Kool Rock Ski, the Human Beatbox providing the beat/ 1,000 pounds put all together; the disco brothers, to last forever…”

The original LP’s 7-track set is expanded here to 14, including rare, non-LP singles as well as vintage radio interviews.  The bonus bangers include the Melle Mel-influenced “Reality”, where street-consciousness is the theme:  “So whatcha gonna do when you can’t get help?  I gotta be a vigilante, go for self/ ‘cause in this New York time, you might think it’s funny;  it’s rough it’s tough, and it’s takin’ your money…”  “International Love” and “All You Can Eat” (from the Krush Groove soundtrack) are also included.

The Boys haven’t been as celebrated in recent years compared to peers like Run-DMC or Whodini.  Crossover success in the late 80s damaged future returns with urban fans; a break-up soon followed, and Buff passed away in 1995.  This “Pizza Box” edition of the Fat Boys’ first go-round should make believers again of Gen-X fans, and hopefully convert some new fans, too.


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