In the weeks following Biz Markie’s death, drewster187 spoke with family, fellow artists, and celebrity admirers about rap’s pioneering 'Clown Prince'
Biz Markie on Kensington High Street, London, in 1988. Photo: David Corio/Redferns The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop. The Inhuman Orchestra. Bizzy B Markie. The world knew him best as Biz Markie, but the man born Marcel Theo Hall had many nicknames, befitting a performer bestowed with oversize talent and an even bigger personality behind his skill. When the New York rap pioneer departed on July 16 at age 57, following complications from Type 2 diabetes, the gut punch hit hard and fast.
Photo: Courtesy of Diamond Shell He came to us through adoption in 1972. [I remember] we got a call, and my mother said, “You’re gonna have a new brother.” My mother did foster care, and he was our first foster kid. She said, “When we get home, he’ll be there, and I want you to make him feel welcome.” Biz was 8 years old, and I was only 5, so I was nervous. I remember walking in the door and seeing him for the first time.
Shell: I remember the first time he beatboxed. This was junior high school. We used to sit around hamboning, which was a [dance] rhythm thing we did. One day, Biz just started beatboxing at 11 years old and never stopped. There were cliques and crews in our neighborhood, and if you didn’t have a certain look, you were outcast. This is where the song “Vapors” came from because you got totally ignored if you didn’t fit into those cliques.
Biz had so much jewelry that he’d let his crew wear it, like big ropes. On certain occasions, he’d want all his jewelry and would yell, “Truck me up! Truck me up!” That meant everyone had to take their jewelry off and put it all on Biz. When it came to the ladies, Biz Mark was an oddity. He was like Flavor Flav or Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and it took a special girl to wanna get with Biz Markie. He wasn’t so much a ladies’ man, but if a lady came in his area, he knew what to do and what to say.
John Leguizamo, actor and director: I was in my apartment in Queens when I first heard Biz. Jackson Heights, on the fourth floor, in one of the project buildings we lived in. It was the late ’80s, and I can’t remember if it was Rap City, The Box, or Yo! MTV Raps, but I used to live by those shows. It was the “Just a Friend” video, and I thought, Oh my God! This is so fucking fun! The fun of hip-hop in those days was so beautiful.
[I remember] when Biz was playing the piano, a production assistant whispered into my ear, “Lionel, he’s not playing the right chords.” I said to Biz, “You played the keys on the song, right?” Biz said, “Yeah, but in the studio it’s different.” I could tell he was sensitive about it, but for accuracy, I got a pair of stand-in hands to play the keys. We put a little makeup on his hands and added the jewelry.
I said, “Dude, what happened?!” He said, “We were driving on the LIE and got a flat tire.” I’m thinking, Okay, you had a flat but are still four hours late. He could tell I wasn’t buying it, so he said, “Then we drove some more and got another flat.” His friends were there, and he was kinda smiling. What could I do? That was Biz, and that was who he was. You could never get angry with Biz. I could be frustrated, but he was impossible to be mad at. He was too damn likable.
Leguizamo: Music was a huge part of my life, and I was always dancing. I was a kid when uprock was invented, so all my friends and I were competing and battling. Uprock turned into break-dancing, and I was also doing the hustle. Dance was everything at the house parties. Biz was the soundtrack to a lot of that. I put him on so many mixtapes, and he’s still on my “Feel Good” music playlists. Whenever you put Biz on at house parties, it would bring everyone to the dance floor.
Bootsy Collins, R&B-and-funk bassist for James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic: Biz for me was the George Clinton of Hip Hop, but he was more than Clownery, he was more than “Just a Friend.” When I met him at one of his concerts, we talked backstage & it was as if we knew each other before we had ever met, which led to a level of Respect for each other throughout both our careers.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cedric the Entertainer Opens 2021 Emmy Awards With Biz Markie Tribute SongHost announced that this year’s ceremony would not be subdued before launching into a parody of “Just a Friend” that got the crowd moving
Read more »
Conan O’Brien, Biz Markie & The Emmy Losers’ Support Group Among Best Moments Of The 2021 EmmysAn Emmys ceremony like no other — held in a tent during a pandemic — was sure to deliver surprising moments, and the 2021 edition of TV’s biggest night did not disappoint in that …
Read more »
Cedric the Entertainer kicks off 2021 Emmys with musical tribute to TV — and Biz MarkieCedric the Entertainer was joined by multiple stars in a sing-along tribute to TV, set to rapper Biz Markie's hit 'Just a Friend.' Then he did a monologue
Read more »
Cedric the Entertainer Kicks Off Emmys With TV-Inspired Cover of Biz Markie’s 'Just a Friend'Emmys host Cedric the Entertainer kicked off the event leading the crowd in a cover of Biz Markie's 'Just a Friend' with the chorus, 'TV, you’ve got what I need.'
Read more »
Conan O’Brien, Biz Markie & The Emmy Losers’ Support Group Among Best Moments Of The 2021 EmmysAn Emmys ceremony like no other — held in a tent during a pandemic — was sure to deliver surprising moments, and the 2021 edition of TV’s biggest night did not disappoint in that …
Read more »