Biz Markie, known for classic rap song 'Just a Friend,' dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic 'œJust a Friend,'ť has died. He was 57.

Markie's 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.

'œWe are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time,'ť Izumi said in a statement. 'œBiz 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.'ť

Markie, who birth name was Marcel Theo Hall, became known within the rap genre realm as the self-proclaimed 'œClown Prince of Hip-Hop'ť for his lighthearted lyrics and humorous nature. He made music with the Beastie Boys, opened for Chris Rock's comedy tour and was a sought-after DJ for countless star-studded events.

The New York-native's 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 'œGoin' Off,'ť which featured underground hits 'œVapors'ť and 'œPickin' Boogers.'ť

Markie broke into mainstream music with his platinum-selling song 'œJust a Friend,'ť the lead single on his sophomore album 'œThe Biz Never Sleeps.'ť The friend-zone anthem cracked Rolling Stone's top 100 pop songs and made VH1's list of 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

'œThis one hurts baad ... RIP to my Aries bro'¦'ť Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest said on Twitter, where an outpouring of mourning for Markie was growing, 'œahhh man @BizMarkie damn im gonna miss u so so many memories.'ť

Questlove said he learned from Markie early in his career.

'œBiz built me man,'ť Questlove posted on Instagram along with a picture of him and Markie. 'œIn my early early stages it was Biz who taught me the REAL places to cop records'¦.Biz taught me what cities had good digging'¦..Biz taught me where to collect 45s'¦'¦Biz taught me where to collect 8TRACK TAPES!!'ť

After two successful albums, Markie was served with a copyright infringement lawsuit for a song on his third studio album 'œI Need a Haircut'ť in 1991. He and his label, Warner Bros Records, were sued by Irish singer Gilbert O'Sullivan who claimed that elements from his 1972 hit 'œAlone Again (Naturally)'ť were illegally sampled in Markie's 'œAlone Again'ť

The judge ruled to halt further distribution of the album, which was reissued without the illegal track. The judgment also changed the landscape of music sampling by dictating they were preapproved by the original owner.

Despite the setback, Markie released his fourth album 'œAll Samples Cleared!" in 1993 that was an apparent reference to the court battle. He released his final album 'œWeekend Warrior'ť a decade later.

Markie kept his name relevant as he consistently booked more than 175 shows a year, according to the rapper's website. He's appeared on television shows including 'œIn Living Color," 'œEmpire'ť along with 'œblack-ish'ť and the 2002 movie 'œMen in Black II,'ť in which he played 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's show 'œYo Gabba Gabba!'ť

'œWe lost another Rap legend Mr. Biz Markie,'ť Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins tweeted. 'œTo a lot of us he was more than Just a Friend.'ť