If there is one thing that you take from Fatwareness Month here at Antisteez, it should be from this post right here. Why? Because these Fatcons changed my life. And there are not a lot of people you can say that about, honestly. But it is truer than true when it comes to these gentlemen right here. Even typing that sort of makes my throat tight and almost moves me to tears.  You see, at the ripe age of five, these three dudes planted the seed of Hip-Hop, the grain that would grow into a mighty tree of rap knowledge, in my soul.

Let me take you on a quick stroll down the avenues of my memory.

The year was 1984. The place was New York City. Well, a New York City subway to be exact. The main character was your girl, me, a precocious five-year-old with a healthy sense of adventure. I was in the subway with my pop. I remember the smell of the subway wafting up as we descended into the bowels of the NYC transit system. And that’s when I heard it. This boisterous music and all this clapping. Music I had never heard before but it made my heart race. I remember running ahead of my dad and pushing my way through arms and legs of subway riders and gawkers only to come face-to-face with the most-glorious thing I had ever seen. BREAKDANCERS. ON CARDBOARD. DOING WINDMILLS. And they were all ages and shapes and sizes. And their moves were mesmerizing. I watched, so excitedly. that when my dad latched his hand around my arm with the pressure of a parent saying WHATTHEFUCKAREYOUDOINGRUNNINGAWAYFROMMEINTHESUBWAY, I could not be moved. I would not be moved. I was rooted to the spot, lost in the rapture of the sounds and the sights. And I guess my pop got that this was epic for me, because he let me watch for a while.

The song was Stick ‘Em, the group was The Fat Boys and my life was changed forever.

#25: The Fat Boys

When The Fat Boys asked me, Can You Feel It?, my reply was, Yes.

Anytime you can proudly use the word FAT in your title, you are pretty much a voted into EPIC status amongst big folk, and in the early 80′s, no one had more FAT epic status than The Fat Boys. Buff Love AKA the Human Beatbox, Price Markie Dee and Kool Rock Ski rocked the mic like nobody else before them. And Buff Love brought the art of beatboxing to the forefront of hip-hop culture. In fact, I am going to say that it if were not for Buff Love and maybe, like, Doug E. Fresh, beatboxing would have never existed. Yeah, that’s how epic The Fat Boys were. Their hits include Stick ‘Em, Can You Feel It and Beatbox is Rocking. They even did a cover with the Beach Boys of Wipeout. Think about that. When rap music and hip-hop were just coming into being, these three dudes collaborated with The Beach Boys. Yes, The Beach Boys. A piece of Americana and The Fat Boys did a single with them, solidifying their bad-ass Hip-Hop status and crossing over into white-America with their rap at a time when rap music barely existed. That’s fucking genius.

Sadly, in December of 1995, Buff Love suffered a severe heartattack and died. He was 450 lbs. and only 28 years old. (Yes, sadly, the fatness killed this very talented Fat Boy.) Prince Markie Dee went on to be a DJ (You can catch him on 103.5 The Beat in the afternoons, right here in the 305.) and Kool Rock Ski still works in the hip-hop scene, producing and doing collabos.

In fact, there is whispers that the two remaining members are in cahoots on a new album…but you know how the hype goes…don’t believe it till you see it.

Regardless, they might not be poppin; off music like they used to, but these three dudes changed hip-hop and your girl’s life forever and that is why they are indeed Fatcons, for life.

I heart The Fat Boys forever, son.

-Goobs