Biz Markie, jubilant ‘Just a Friend’ rap star, dies at age 57
Biz Markie, the New York rapper whose jubilant, bawdy charisma made him one of the most idiosyncratic hip-hop figures ever to break into the top 10, died on Friday. He was 57.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, Hip Hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” a representative for the rapper said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time. Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years. He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter. We respectfully request privacy for his family as they mourn their loved one.”
The representative did not give a cause of death, but Markie had battled diabetes in recent years.
Born Marcel Theo Hall on April 8, 1964, in Harlem, N.Y., Markie was a pivotal figure in early hip-hop, best known for his endearingly warbly 1989 single “Just a Friend” that remains a popculture staple, still heard (and sung along to) at rap festivals and karaoke bars.
Although Markie embraced the “Clown Prince of Hip-Hop” label, he also bore the brunt of a 1991 lawsuit that first defined emerging law around sampling, a ruling that forever changed the music industry and the craft of making hip-hop.
Markie grew up on Long Island and earned early renown around New York City’s street-party circuit for his prowess at beatboxing — imitating the sound of drum machines and turntables with your voice — which he invoked on his breakthrough single, “Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz” from his 1988 debut album, “Goin’ Off.”
That LP, with state-of-theart sampling from producer Marley Marl and some ghostwritten lyrics from Big Daddy Kane, sported such street hits as “Vapors” and “Nobody Beats the Biz,” where Biz riffed on the hook from a local electronics store advertising jingle to boast, “You won’t be fighting or illing, you’ll just be partying / I came to have fun and, not be number one.”