Photo: Scott Dudelson (Getty Images) Biz Markie has died. The rapper, actor, and DJ was best known for his 1989 single “Just A Friend,” off his sophomore album The Biz Never Sleeps—but also for a spirit, perseverance, and good-natured energy that transcended that single major hit. Known for his comedic approach to his music, collaborations with many of the less self-serious artists from the hip-hop world, and—inadvertently—for setting legal precedents that re-shaped the relationship between early rap artists and the samples they so frequently relied upon, Markie was hospitalized last year due to complications from Type II diabetes.