Photo: Bo Borbye Pedersen from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Biz Markie is one of those artists I'll always have a soft spot for. The "Clown Prince of Hip-Hop" tag fits perfectly, because he made you laugh without ever feeling like a novelty act. "Just a Friend" is the obvious touchstone, and that gloriously off-key chorus is the whole point. He wasn't trying to sing well; he was being human, and that honesty is why the song outlived so many slicker hits. I also respect how much ground he covered as a DJ, beatboxer and producer. Losing him in 2021 felt like losing a piece of hip-hop's golden-age warmth that you can't replace.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Biz Markie
- Name (Japanese)
- ビズ・マーキー
- Reading
- びず・まーきー
- Born
- April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- New York, United States
- Occupation
- disc jockey / record producer / beatboxer / rapper / singer
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Biz Markie born?
April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021.
Where is Biz Markie from?
Biz Markie is from New York, United States.
What does Biz Markie do?
Biz Markie works as disc jockey, record producer, beatboxer, rapper, singer.
Disc jockey — see all → · Record producer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.