Who was Prince Markie Dee dating? A look at his rumored engagement with rapper Pepa after death at 52
Rapper Prince Markie Dee of pioneering New York rap group The Fat Boys has reportedly died at the age of 52. The cause of his death has not been revealed yet. Dee's longtime friends Louis Gregory and SiriusXM’s Rock the Bells station, where he had a daily program, confirmed the news of his death.
“Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everything you taught me. Tomorrow is your birthday, swing my way big bro,” Gregory’s tweet read. While Rock the Bells station posted: "The Rock The Bells family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mark “Prince Markie Dee” Morales earlier today. That voice and his presence can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones."
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Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends. My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everything you taught me. Tomorrow is your birthday, swing my way big bro. pic.twitter.com/XcIsHixOoc
— Louis “Uncle Louie” Gregory (@UncleLouie) February 18, 2021
The Rock The Bells family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mark “Prince Markie Dee” Morales earlier today. That voice and his presence can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. 🙏🏾🕊 pic.twitter.com/Tn6wSJ6soq
— Rock The Bells (@RockTheBells) February 18, 2021
Born Mark Anthony Morales on February 19, 1968, Dee joined forces with fellow Brooklyn natives Darren Robinson (The Human Beat Box) and Damon Wimbley (Kool Rock Ski) to form the rap group 'Fat Boys'. The trio got widely praised for popularizing beatboxing and is one of the pioneering rap groups from the Golden Age of Hip Hop. Powerhouse singles such as 'Jailhouse Rap' and 'Can You Feel It' made them popular, but the trio’s biggest hits were a cover of 'Wipeout' and 'The Twist', which charted at No. 12 and 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
Who was Prince Markie Dee dating?
Even though Dee always kept his dating life personal, it was reported that he was previously dating rapper Pepa. It was also rumored that the couple was engaged sometime during the mid-1980s.
Born Sandra Jacqueline Denton on November 9, 1964, Pepa was a member of the Grammy Award-winning female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa. She has also starred in the VH1 'The Salt-N-Pepa Show', a reality TV show focusing on reforming the group in 2008. Since January 2016, she has appeared as a supporting cast member on the music reality television show 'Growing Up Hip Hop' which airs on WE tv.
As a college student, Denton teamed up with her friend Cheryl James to form the hip-hop/rap duo Salt-N-Pepa. Accompanied by DJ Deidra Roper, Salt-N-Pepa became one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the late 1980s and 1990s, releasing crossover hits such as 'Let's Talk About Sex' and 'Shoop'. The group's success skyrocketed when a remix of their B-side 'Push It' was released nationally in 1988. That year they replaced Green with a new DJ, Deidra "Spinderella" Roper, and released their second album 'A Salt with a Deadly Pepa'. Their third album, 'Blacks' Magic', included their biggest hit to date, 'Let's Talk About Sex'.
She was the youngest of eight children and she lived on a farm with her grandmother until she was six years old. She then moved to the borough of Queens in New York City, where her parents had moved three years earlier and her older siblings had gradually followed. She eventually graduated from high school in Queens and enrolled in nursing courses at Queensborough Community College.