Biz Markie Passes Away At 57
With his enduring hit “Just a Friend,” the New York rapper brought his own brand of lightheartedness to the rap scene
Biz Markie in London, U.K. 1988 | Photo by David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Marcel Theo Hall, the charismatic comedic rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor known publicly by his stage name Biz Markie, has passed away. He was 57.
TMZ confirmed the hip-hop pioneer’s death on July 16 after false rumors of his passing swirled across social media just days prior. Hall reportedly suffered brain damage due to complications from diabetes and spent his final days in hospice care surrounded by family and close friends.