Biz Markie
Biz Markie, known for his 1989 hit “Just a Friend” has passed away at the age of 57. Born Marcel Theo Hall, Biz rose to fame with “Just a Friend,” which was built around a sample of “You Got What I Need” by Freddie Scott and hit #9 on the Billboard 200. It had been rumored that he was ill for quite some time due to complications from diabetes, but no official cause of death has been given.
While he is best known for “Just a Friend,” Biz was part of the hip-hop world for years earlier as a member of the Juice Crew. “Just a Friend” appeared on his sophomore solo album The Biz Never Sleeps. His next album, I Need a Haircut, lead to a landmark court decision on the use of sampling, creating stricter licensing rules for future releases. He also worked with the Beastie Boys multiple times and was sampled by the Rolling Stones on their single “Anybody Seen My Baby.”
While he hadn’t released an album since 2003, Biz was constantly in the public eye. He regularly DJed, made cameos on other artists’ songs, was a popular social media poster and appeared in movies, commercials and a VH1 reality show. He also had a recurring segment on Nickelodeon‘s Yo Gabba Gabba! and briefly hosted a show on SiriusXM.
