With an off-key warble of a few words – “You, you got what I need” – Biz Markie established himself in hip-hop lore.
The rapper-producer-actor became a pop culture staple following “Just a Friend,” his platinum-selling Top 10 hit in 1989 that would pop up through the years in TV shows as varied as “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Black-ish.”
Markie died Friday, his manager Jenni Izumi confirmed to USA TODAY in a statement. He was 57. It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, Hip Hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away. We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time, read the statement.
Biz Markie, hip-hop pioneer, is dead at 57
The rapper/DJ had reportedly been in failing health due to diabetes since April 2020.
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Biz Markie, the jovial rapper, DJ and beatboxer dubbed as the “Clown Prince of Hip-Hop,” has died at age 57. A family source confirmed the news to
theGrio. It was reported by
theGrio later that he had gone into a diabetic coma in December and suffered a stroke.
Hip-hop icon Biz Markie is still alive, despite reports from REVOLT Wednesday that the 57-year-old had passed away. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Premature reports of his death hit social media and hip-hop blogs the night of June 30. However,
Celebs mourn the death of hip-hop legend Biz Markie thegrio.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thegrio.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In other words, “content, commerce and experiences” are what will take Rock The Bells to new heights.
“We think those work together to form a flywheel,” Cuthbert said. “The first priority is to bring more staff into the company, which at present has a handful of employees. It’s important to have the right human beings.”
Named after LL COOL J’s seminal 1985 hit “Rock The Bells,” the company was birthed last year after the success of the Hip Hop legend’s SiriusXM radio show of the same name. A quick visit to the website reveals Rock The Bells’ mission is to celebrate the culture’s pioneers and architects while still staying current, covering the early 1970s to mid-2000s and beyond.