LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic 鈥淛ust a Friend,鈥� has died. He was 57.
Markie鈥檚 representative, Jenni Izumi, said the rapper-DJ died peacefully Friday evening with his wife by his side. The cause of death has not been released.
鈥淲e are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time,鈥� Izumi said in a statement. 鈥淏iz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years. He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter.鈥�
Markie, who birth name was Marcel Theo Hall, became known within the rap genre realm as the self-proclaimed 鈥淐lown Prince of Hip-Hop鈥� for lighthearted lyrics and a humorous nature. He made music with the Beastie Boys, opened for Chris Rock鈥檚 comedy tour and was a sought-after DJ for countless star-studded events.
The New York-native鈥檚 music career began in 1985 as a beat boxer of the Juice Crew, a rap collective he helped Big Daddy Kane join. Three years later, he released his debut album 鈥淕oin鈥� Off,鈥� which featured underground hits 鈥淰apors鈥� and 鈥淧ickin鈥� Boogers.鈥�
Markie broke into mainstream music with his platinum-selling song 鈥淛ust a Friend,鈥� the lead single on his sophomore album 鈥淭he Biz Never Sleeps.鈥� The friend-zone anthem cracked Rolling Stone鈥檚 top 100 pop songs and made VH1鈥檚 list of 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time.
Markie, who released five total studio albums, consistently booked more than 175 shows a year, according to the rapper鈥檚 website. He鈥檚 appeared on television shows including 鈥淚n Living Color鈥� and the 2002 movie 鈥淢en in Black II,鈥� which had him playing an alien parody of himself in the film starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Markie also taught the method of beatboxing in an episode of the children鈥檚 show 鈥淵o Gabba Gabba!鈥�
In recent years, Markie lived in Bowie, Maryland, telling 草莓传媒 Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley that he moved to the area in the mid 1990s. He that he moved when he got popular doing the D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Philadelphia college circuit.
In 2015, Markie beatboxed 草莓传媒’s call sign during an interview with Fraley. You can hear a cut below.
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