The Fat Boys’ Prince Markie Dee has died at age 52. A cause of death has not been revealed.

Dee, born Mark Morales, was one-third of the pioneering hip-hop trio the Fat Boys, which was also made up of Damon “Kool Rock-Ski” Wimbley and Darren “Buff The Human Beat Box” Robinson. (Robinson passed away after a heart attack in 1995 at 28.)

The trio emerged from Brooklyn in the mid-’80s and helped to establish rap on the world stage. Their first two full-length albums, 1984’s Fat Boys and 1985’s The Fat Boys Are Back, were produced by the legendary Kurtis Blow. The Fat Boys had seven albums in total, including 1987’s Crushin’, their biggest commercial hit, which featured “Wipeout,” a single that peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured backing vocals by the Beach Boys.

They also starred in a number of movies throughout the ’80s, including Krush Groove and Disorderlies, and they recorded the theme song for A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Dee left the Fat Boys in the early ’90s and embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut album Free in 1992 and a sophomore album called Love Daddy in 1995. He also worked behind-the-scenes, producing and writing for artists like Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige. He became a radio host in 2008 and worked at WMIB and WEDR in Miami and on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells channel.

“The Rock The Bells family is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mark ‘Prince Markie Dee’ Morales earlier today,” Rock The Bells tweeted. “That voice and his presence can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.”