#FreshRadio sends a Happy Birthday and Fresh In Peace to Buffy from the Fat Boys
11 June 2013 Fresh Radio
June 10th – Buffy a.k.a. The Human Beatbox of The Fat Boys was born Darren Robinson in Brooklyn, New York on this day in 1967.
After winning first prize in a talent competition in the early 1980’s at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, sponsored by Coca-Cola, Fiorucci, radio station WBLS and Swiss businessman Charles Stettler, The Disco 3, as they were then known, comprising of Buffy, Mark Morales a.k.a. Prince Markie Dee and Damon Wimbley a.k.a. Kool Rock-Ski won a recording contract which was the prize for first place.
Buffy’s beat-boxing abilities being a major reason for the group’s victory.
The group was apparently disappointed at not winning the prize for second place which was $1000 worth of stereo equipment.
The recording contract in question actually never existed and it was up to Stettler to go out and find one for the Brooklyn trio.
Stettler convinced Sutra Records to take a chance on the group, who released their first single “Reality” in 1983.
The standout aspect of the otherwise obscure single was that the rhythm track was built around Buffy’s beat-box vocals which were laid down before any other tracks.
In 1984, The Disco 3 released the classic monster hit “Fat Boys”, whose unseen popularity caused the group to change their name to the more appropriate moniker.
The B-side was the cult classic “Human Beat-Box”, which until this day is one of the most impressive performances on the sub-genre.
The album was produced by Kurtis Blow.
That same year, the group released their Self-Entitled debut album which also spawned the hits “Jailhouse Rap”, “Stick ‘Em” and “Can You Feel It”.
The Fat Boys followed that up with their 1985 sophomore album “The Fat Boys Are Back”, which contained the singles “Don’t Be Stupid”, “Hard Core Reggae” and the catchy title track. Kurtis Blow produced this set as well.
That same year The Fat Boys appeared in the semi-autobiographical Russell Simmons biopic and story of Def Jam called “Krush Groove” along with Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Dr. Jeckyll And Mr Hyde, New Edition, Sheila E, Blow and Blair Underwood as Simmons.
In 1986, the group released their third album “Big & Beautiful” which contained the hits “In The House” and a remake of James Brown’s “Sex Machine”.
In 1987, The Fat Boys appeared in a remake of the 1964 Jerry Lewis comedy film classic “The Disorderly Orderly” called “Disordelies”.
In the film, The Fat Boys perform a cover of the 1967 Beatles classic “Baby You’re A Rich Man”.
The film was a success.
That same year, The Fat Boys released their fourth album “Crushin’” on Tin Pan Alley Records.
The platinum-selling set contained the smash hit “Wipeout”, featuring The Beach Boys, a cover of the 1963 Surfaris’ classic.
In 1988, The Fat Boys released the gold-selling album “Coming Back Hard Again” which produced a smash hit cover of the 1960 Hank Ballard classic “The Twist”, which was immortalized that same year by Chubby Checker.
Checker would also appear with The Fat Boys on their remake.
The Fat Boys would release two more albums 1989’s rap opera “On And On” and 1991’s “Mack Daddy”, which saw Prince Markie Dee leave the group afterwards.
Buffy and Kool Rock-Ski soon dissolved the Fat Boys altogether.
In the mid-1980’s, The Fat Boys would also be part of the Artists Against Apartheid hit single “Sun City” and the Dr. Martin Luther King tribute single “King Holiday” as part of the King Dream Chorus And Holiday Crew.
In 1995, while working on a comeback, Buffy suffered a heart attack while working in the studio.
Buffy left behind a son with rapper Queen Pen.
Buffy a.k.a The Human Beat-Box was a true hip-hop legend.
DJ Bee Buffy, Fat Boys, Fresh Radio, Human Beat Box, Krush Groove, Queen Pen, Rest In Paradise, Rest In Peace, RIP