Champion of The Underdog: An Appreciation of The Life & Work of Biz Markie, Vol. 7-8 By: Producer Ray West & Emcee/Producer Andy Cooper

Biz Markie rendering on cardboard - CREDIT: Andrew "Andy" Katz (@ajkatzart)

Marcel Theo Hall, better know as Biz Markie and oftentimes, affectionately referred to as The Biz, The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop, The Inhuman Orchestra, The Diabolical Biz Markie, and The Emizah-Emizah, was highly revered as one of the most genuine emcees to ever do it. Biz passed away on Friday, July 16, 2021 at the tender age of 57, likely due to complications from Type 2 Diabetes, although, no official Cause of Death has been revealed just yet. Biz Markie is most well-known for his infectious 1989 break-out single, "Just A Friend," but he was a truly multi-talented artist, as well. Biz Mark's lesser-known talents included beat-boxing, dancing, producing, DJ'ing, acting, singing, and song-writing.

It was proven time and time again that "Nobody Beats The Biz," but he surely didn't mind collaborating with just about anyone; racking up genre-defying features with everyone from the Beastie Boys to Spin Doctors. Biz's film and television appearances included roles on In Living Color, Men In Black II, black-ish, and Yo Gabba Gabba! as well as Paul Simon's "Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard" music video. Since Biz Markie's untimely passing, his friends, fans, peers, fellow musicians, and admirers have been sharing their fond memories online. We'll attempt to collect some of the most meaningful tributes here with Champion of The Underdog: An Appreciation of The Life & Work of Biz Markie. Rest Easy to the man, the mouth, the legend, Marcel Theo "Biz Markie" Hall.

Sincerely,

Matt "The Witz" Horowitz
The Witzard Founder/Editor

"The original "Make The Music with Your Mouth, Biz" 12-inch, "The One Without The Piano Loop In The Beginning," is one of the first records that started my record collection... along with all the greats of that era, like Whodini, Run-D.M.C. etc. But the early Biz 12-inches are some of the best memories for me as a kid starting a collection and falling in [love] with Hip-Hop and record culture. I still have them to this day. Back then, NYC radio had two major Rap shows on the weekend nights. 98.7 was [DJ] Red Alert & Chuck Chillout... in my perception that was like the Bronx Zulu station and the other show was Mr. Magic Rap Attack on 107.5 WBLS, to me that was like [the] Juice Crew Queens station... I used to listen to one show and record the other show... every weekend. I had this one tape of Biz & T.J. Swan live on WBLS. T.J. singing like a full [love] song while The Biz was beat-boxing. It was so raw and stupid fresh. It was natural and soulful. Back then, I was a kid, but that made me look at Biz and his whole approach in a mature way... He was a musician embodied and showed us how far [you] can go and how [you] can drive down different avenues with confidence. He had [such a] mischievous soul. I wish I had those tapes from WBLS still. R.I.P. to The Great BIZ Mark."

- Ray West (@RedApples45)

"While I love all the classic Biz Markie music from his famous period, I have to say that it may have been his spirit that was most impactful to me as an artist. I can remember hearing "Pickin' Boogers" on my friend's Walkman at school and while the track was as dope as Hip-Hop music gets, the good-natured humor of the lyric and the self-depreciating manner in which it was delivered really struck me as I nodded to the beat. While I enjoyed listening to Run-D.M.C., LL [Cool J], and the Beastie [Boys], I couldn't personally relate to anything they were rapping about and I didn't possess one ounce of the confidence and swagger that most rappers jammed (and are still jamming) into every song on the market, but I could relate to The Biz. Although, Biz wasn't your typical guy, he spoke about typical things in a fantastically funky way, which made me feel that I could be a part of Hip-Hop culture, as opposed to standing on the side as just another fan. Whether it was failing in romance, being alone again, or sitting on the toilet, Biz rapped [about] what I knew and for that, I'll forever be grateful to The Diabolical Emizah-Emizah. R.I.P."

- Andy Cooper (@andycooper75)

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