It has been 15 years since Darren Robinson, also known as Buff and the Human Beat Box (among other names), of the Fat Boys, passed away. Buff was a pioneer of beat boxing. The astonishing sounds that came from his mouth are what made the group stand out from the rest. Here's how Buff started beat boxing:
"My family didn’t have much money. I wanted DJ equipment like the other kids had, but I couldn’t get it. So I just started playing the beat with my mouth. It just came naturally."
That's exactly how it looked. He made it look so easy; so simple. He was flawless in his delivery of sounds and was the first person to lay a rhythm track with recorded vocals.
In 1995, Buff had received a production deal with Sony and was looking forward to a Fat Boys reunion. Unfortunately, neither would ever come to be.
On December 10, 1995, while rapping for his friends, he fell off of a chair and lost consciousness. Buff passed away from cardiac arrest while battling respiratory flu and lymphedema. He is truly missed, as he was an influential part of hip hop's history.
Check out a video of "Baby, You’re a Rich Man" from the movie Disorderlies (1987):
- Mixtape Chic
I still have a Fat Boys record (had to fight for the right to keep my dad's old records...mom tries to throw away everything!) -Photo Chic
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