Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper and singer. Markie’s 1989 single “Just a Friend“, became a Top 40 hit in several countries and was named No. 100 on VH1‘s list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time in 2008.[3] Markie was sometimes referred to as the “Clown Prince of Hip Hop”
Markie was born in Manhattan in the neighborhood of Harlem, New York City, on April 8, 1964.[7][8] He was raised on Long Island in the hamlet of Brentwood[6][9] and the village of Patchogue, where he spent his teenage years and where, on September 25, 2021, the intersection of South Street and West Avenue, across the street from his then-home, was dedicated as Biz Markie Way.[2] He graduated from Longwood High School in Middle Island in 1982.[10] Markie began his career in New York City nightclubs and later gained regional recognition by performing at colleges in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.[11] Regarding the origin of his stage name, the rapper said:
Biz comes from the first hip-hop tape I heard. It was ’77, ’78, from the L Brothers. Grand Wizard Theodore was the DJ, and the rappers was Kevvy Kev, Master Rob and Busy Bee Starski. I loved Busy Bee. Busy Bee just stuck with me. My name used to be Bizzy B Markie, and after a while I put the Biz with the Markie. My nickname in my neighborhood was Markie.
Biz Markie was interviewed in the 1986 cult documentary Big Fun in the Big Town.[12] Markie released his debut album Goin’ Off in 1988, which attracted a fair amount of attention, largely due to the lead single, “Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz”. The album also featured the underground hit singles “Nobody Beats The Biz”, “Vapors“, and “Pickin’ Boogers”.[13] Biz also appeared briefly in the music video for Rob Base‘s single “It Takes Two“.
On October 10, 1989, Markie’s second studio album, The Biz Never Sleeps, was released on Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros. Records, produced by Markie, his cousin Cool V and Paul C. The single “Just a Friend“, in which he alternates between rap and caterwauling, became Markie’s most successful single, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard charts.[14] The song interpolates the 1968 song “You Got What I Need” by singer-songwriter Freddie Scott, whose basic chord and melody provided the base for the song’s chorus.[15] “Just a Friend” was ranked 81st on VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders in 2000, and later as number 100 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop in 2008.[3] The music video, directed by Lionel C. Martin, chronicles the rapper’s woman problems.
