RIP Biz Markie

The much beloved Biz Markie has passed away at 57. There were rumors of increasingly poor health I heard, and lamentably, they turned out to be so.

Everyone loved the Biz.

He was just a friend...

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Thankfully back in the mid 90’s I got to see him in concert. He was an amazing performer. Really sad today.

Dude opened my mind to a bunch of artists I had never heard of before and was the muse of artists I loved.

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Mike D wrote:

We are so grateful to have had so many unforgettable experiences with the truly unique and ridiculously talented Biz Markie. We will miss his presence deeply in so many ways. In the Nineties, Biz would often show up at our G Son studio in Atwater, CA. Naturally every visit would start with a trip to the candy store — which in this case was actually a liquor store across the street. Regardless, he would always return happy with a brown paper bag full of treats. Once he had his sugar fix, he would typically grab a mic and sing whatever song he wanted, looking at us as if we’d know exactly what to play — and somehow he was usually right.

I’ll never forget the time he showed up with a stack of 45s to make a mixtape to listen to on his flight back to New York. Did this mix tape include famous break beats like The Honey Drippers’ “Impeach the President” or Rufus Thomas “Funky Penguin” or any of the other classics that you might associate with Biz and his amazing human beatbox skills? Nope. He smiled ear to ear as he put on Helen Reddy‘s “I Am Woman” and sang along at top volume with his headphones on — so excited that he’d soon be able to do this all over again on his flight!

Biz was a completely unique musician. No one else could beatbox — making beats and grooves and sounds the way he did — when he came out. He didn’t play by the rules or observe any categories. If he loved something, he would play it or sample it or rap over it — or just DJ the song and have the audience sing along. He was all inclusive the way hip-hop can be at its best moments.

It’s also important to note that the Biz was not just a rapper or a record-maker, but a true entertainer. He could get on and rock a crowd whatever the circumstance — from his legendary early appearances at the Latin Quarter in New York City to the Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Once he was doing a DJ set opening up for us — just him, records, a mic and the audience singing along — and the power suddenly cut out. He didn’t miss a beat, human beatboxing and singing a cappella without amplification. He could not be stopped. Biz, we love you and we miss you and we are so grateful for everything we got to do together and make in the time we had. Much love always…

OG_slinger wrote:

Dude opened my mind to a bunch of artists I had never heard of before and was the muse of artists I loved.

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Damn

I’m soooo sad about this.

THE BIZ IS DEAD!!! LONG LIVE THE BIZ!!

Nobody beats The Biz.