Rapper, Actor, and Icon Biz Markie Dead at 57, Tributes Pour in for Hip-Hop Legend: ‘To a Lot of Us He Was More Than Just a Friend’

Biz Markie performs onstage during #TBT Night by Buzzfeed in NYC 2018 (Christopher Polk, Getty Images)

Artist, rapper, producer, actor, DJ, legendary beatboxer and pop culture icon Biz Markie (born Marcel Theo Hall) passed away at the age of 57 on Friday, his manager Jenni Izumi confirmed.

Izumi provided a statement from the family to USA Today. “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,” it reads.

“Biz 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.”

TMZ reports that his wife, Tara Hall, was with him and holding his hand when he passed away at the hospital on Friday evening.

The artist had Type II Diabetes, a condition which had seen him in the hospital more than once over the course of 2020, though it is not confirmed whether this was the cause of or contributed to his death at this time.

His brother, who goes by the stage name Diamond Shell, posted his own tribute on Facebook.

Markie was best known for his platinum hit “Just a Friend”, which VH1 included on their 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop list in 2008. The single has been iconic for thirty years, included and referenced in film, television, and sampled in other songs. His career included all forms of media, including acting, hosting a game show (VH1’s Hip Hop Squares), extensive voiceover work and appearances, and in 2020 he began hosting a daily show on SiriusXM channel LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Radio.

LL Cool J and many other artists and celebrities paid tribute to the legend on Friday and Saturday, among them Ice-T, Questlove, Holly Robinson Peete, Bootsy Collins, and MSNBC’s Tamron Hall, along with many thousands of fans.

Biz Markie was a legend. He was an artist and philanthropist, a natural comedian and poet, a producer and family man, a talent who succeeded in all his pursuits. It’s a sad day. RIP Biz Markie.