10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kool Rock Ski
If you wonder where musicians like Fat Joe and the late Notorious BIG got the courage to be performers despite their weight, you have yet to know about The Fat Boys. The group comprised Darren Robinson, who became a legendary human beatbox. There was also Damon Wimbley “Kool Rock Ski” and Mark Morales “Prince Markie Dee.” They were initially known as Disco Fever but changed their name to The Fat Boys after Charles Stettler became their manager. Today, Ski is the sole survivor from the group and here are a few things to know about him.
1. Why He Decided to Lose Weight
Judging by the name “The Fat boys”, you can guess why they called themselves that. Darren Robinson, a.k.a. Buff Love weighed the most among the three group embers; he was so big that he had to sleep sitting up, and when he fell, he died from a massive heart attack. However, there is a misconception that Ski lost weight after Love died. According to an interview with The Urban Daily, Ski saw himself in “Disorderlies” and felt disgusted; he, therefore, began eating healthier and exercising.
2. Why He Put on So much Weight
Prince Markie Dee said that people judge overweight people by asking them to lose weight, but it is not easy to shed extra pounds. Together, the three group members weighed 750 pounds, and even their manager was worried by the rate at which they were gaining weight. Ski said it was because they went on tours and returned to their hotel rooms late at night. During those odd hours, only fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and Burger King were open, so they had to eat what they could get.
3. When He Realized That He was Overweight
Despite the constant pleas by their manager to lose weight, Ski never thought of himself as fat. The three members viewed themselves as rap stars, and weight was not an issue. However, he got a wake-up call one day when he bent over to tie his shoelaces, and he breathed heavily like someone who had been on a marathon. At the time, he was only 19 and weighed 330 pounds, so as he told Weight and Skin, he thought about making a conscious effort to go on a diet.
4. He Believes Weight Loss Requires Commitment
Nothing in this life can be achieved without commitment, losing weight included. It took the first step towards shedding the pounds for Ski to come to this realization. Going from 330 pounds to 240 pounds and then to 167 pounds was not easy for someone who had been comfortable with being overweight for so long. It demanded dedication to going to the gym and eating healthy consistently. Still, he said keeping off the weight was challenging.
5. He Opines The Fat Boys Don’t Get The Credit They Deserve
Speaking to Ambrosia For Heads, Dee said that while their peers recognized them as Hip-hop heavyweights, the media ignored them. Ski agreed with his friend, saying that it is impossible not to be mentioned in the same breath as Run-D.M.C.; yet, the group did not get the props they deserved. He reasoned that most people ignore them because of their chosen stage name and only refer to them when talking about food-related songs. However, Ski reckons that artists like Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh would not have made it in the industry without The Fat Boys.
6. He is the Only Surviving Member of The Fat Boys
In 1995, Stettler, the group’s manager, announced the passing of Love, who was only 28. Love died in his home doing what he loved most; as per the statement, he was rapping for his friends but fell off a chair and lost consciousness. The cause of death was said to be a heart attack. At the time, he was battling respiratory flu. In February 2021, Dee also passed away at 52, only a day before his 53rd birthday. He died from congestive heart failure leaving Ski as the only surviving member of the rap group.
7. He and His Friends Were Discovered at a Talent Contest
According to Complex, Ski, Dee and Love were discovered in 1983 during a rap talent contest organized at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Stettler saw the three teenagers were talented as they sang their go-to song, “Stick’Em”, which they performed at every rap contest.
8. He is Not Afraid to Learn from the Best
In 2009, the rapper released a four-track LP, “Party Time”, and he went for the best of the best to help make the songs. In the first track, he sought the services of Jay-Z; Jay-Z was a fan of The Fat Boys and even mentioned them in his “Seminar” album. Ski said that despite not being in the studio for over twenty years, being with Jay-Z felt great. Ski also recorded another track with T-Pain, and he joked that T-Pain was still in diapers when The Fat Boys were actively making music, but he was still ready to learn from him.
9. He is a Very Private Person
Incredibly, there is not much revealed about his background, yet he has been in the industry for four decades. While with the current breed of artists, it only takes a few internet searches to know everything about their lives. It appears that Ski believes in keeping everything private. It is not known if he even has ever gotten married. On his social media, where you would expect him to post some personal stuff, he only posts comics and music, making it hard to know more about him besides his profession.
10. He is Working on an Album To Pay Tribute to Dee
According to his interview with VladTV, Ski disclosed that he is working on something to pay tribute to his deceased friend and group member Dee. He said that Dee deserved an excellent sendoff, but they were not able to have that. Dee’s funeral was in Miami, but he was from Brooklyn, so Ski wanted to give him a big sendoff from his hometown.
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