Search - The Fat Boys :: Mack Daddy

Not really a true Fat Boys album.

ChurchOfJesusChrist.Net | Southern Republik of California, USA | 03/23/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

""Mack Daddy": Fat Boys' worst -- and final -- album. If you define Fat Boys as Darren Robinson, Mark Morales, and Damon Wimbley, then this is arguably not even a genuine Fat Boys, because by this 1991 recording, Mark Morales had (wisely) left the group for a critically-acclaimed if not commercially successful solo career and now is a producer for well-known artists. In fact, the original Fat Boys logo which had followed them for 6 albums was not even used here.This record displays the worst of what the Fat Boys ultimately let themselves become. Their fatal flaw was trying to keep up with the times, which had become painfully obvious on the previous but still-listenable "On And On" album. While in years past, other rappers had been influenced by their original style, Robinson and Wimbley were now trying to front as gangstas or pimps, which was laughable and embarrassing. The fact that their music was musical, nonviolent, often funny, and completely different than any other type of rap is what made their art strong. So extreme is this album's contrast from their roots that this is the only Fat Boys album where there is literally NO BEAT-BOXING. Or, at least I didn't hear any the 2 times I forced myself to listen to this record. I am one of the world's biggest Fat Boys fans, owning every one of their albums on Vinyl and CD (those which were printed as CD's), and I have never been more disappointed by a musical release than this one (plus the CD was ridiculously expensive)."Mack Daddy" is only to be purchased by the hardest-core Fat Boys fan (how many of those are there?), and only to complete a set, as a goodbye. Aside from that, it is a completely irrelevant record, even in terms of themselves.In early 1995, Darren Robinson, "The Human Beat Box/Buff Love/The Ox That Rocks", was diagnosed with lymphedema, and then died in December of pneumonia during a severe respiroatory flu. Damon Wimbley "Cool Rock Ski" is still trying to convince Mark Morales "Prince Markie Dee" to complete the unfinished Fat Boys reunion album, using Buffy's existing vocals.Disputed originators of "Beat Boxing", the Fat Boys, originally "The Disco Three", were once so poor they could not afford a drum machine. So instead member Darren Robinson synthesized drum beats with his mouth. Though best-known for comical antics, their best and most under-appreciated material was sober and either very musical or completely a capella. This was in rap's innocent days, before expressions of violence had any place therein.After winning a music contest, Fat Boys were hooked up with influential producer/rapper Curtis Blow, to whom the group owes much of their success. Those first three albums, one of which are available on CD (there are multiple Best Of CD's available), were all ground-breaking. The following four albums, which were neither produced by Curtis Blow nor labeled by Tin Pan Alley, showed a slow descent into embarrassing imitation vs originality."