Dubbed "the Clown Prince of Hip Hop", Biz Markie, who brought outrageous humor and sly wit to rap, has sadly passed away on July 16th at the age of fifty-seven. No exact cause of death had been given although he had been previously hospitalized for severe complications of Type 2 diabetes in 2020 and later had suffered from a stroke after going into a diabetic coma.
He was born Marcel Hall in Harlem, New York and raised on Long Island. Known in his neighborhood as "Markie", Hall first went by "Bizzy B Markie" before later just going by "Biz Markie" when he began performing at colleges and clubs. He was discovered and released his debut album, "Goin' Off" in 1988. The album brought Biz Markie plenty of attention thanks to the singles, "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz", "Nobody Beats The Biz" and "Vapors".
His 1989 follow-up album, "The Biz Never Sleeps" brought the performer his biggest hit single with "Just a Friend", reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The hilarious song, which Markie raps and badly sings on, is about him pursuing a romantic interest yet he's constantly being told that the guy she's hanging around with is just a friend. "Just a Friend" would be listed at number 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. Biz Markie would never have another major hit but he continued to make music and DJ while also making appearances on numerous television shows and feature films.
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