Saying bye to "Just a friend": Biz Markie
Friday, the DMV, along with the rest of the world parted ways forever to entertainment icon, Biz Markie. Hearing his death after battling with complications of diabetes, I think the entire Washington DC area felt it hard.
Biz Markie was the fun rapper out of Harlem that everyone on the East coast loved. He spent a lot of time in the DMV. He gained a lot of traction by Djing (aka- spinning) in colleges through the DMV and Baltimore. He was every college kids favorite DJ at the time. He was smooth and just knew how to spin right into the next hook of the next hot song. He would cut jokes while he would spin to make the songs feel like one talked to the next- effortlessly and also like each song was a story that fit right into another song's story.
During the 2000's Biz Markie showed up plenty of places on television from Men in Black II, to Hip hop squares, to Celebrity Fit Club, to Nick Cannon's Wild N' Out just to name a few but his musical expertise was used in a variety of places all over television and the music industry.
Although Biz is not one of the greatest artists in regarding the cannabis industry, he was definitely the artist you might have played while lighting a jay with friends having one of those sessions. You know the session I am talking about… Sitting around a campfire, or on someone's stoop passing a jay talking about all the things that you would ponder but might not say until your jay had your mind going off to the moon in all your thoughts. If you attended his last big appearance back on New Year's Eve 2019 with Kid Capri, you were simply taken back. The sense of nostalgia was felt all over the auditorium at the Hilton Crystal City where they performed. That night was absolutely frigid, but the concert was so awesome Biz had you leaving and feeling invincible against the cold.
So for all the hip hop lovers out there, raise your jay to our eternal friend who will always have musical place in our hearts. This one's for you Biz. We love you.
Written by: Lady Kay
