Biz Markie
95 Shouts - 883,228 Scrobbles
Biography
Biz Markie's inclination toward juvenile humor and his fondness for goofy, tuneless, half-sung choruses camouflaged his true talents as a freestyle rhymer. The Biz may not have been able to translate his wild rhyming talents to tape, but what he did record was worthwhile in its own way. With his silly humor and inventive, sample-laden productions, he proved that hip-hop could be funny and melodic, without sacrificing its street credibility. His distinctive style made his second album, The Biz Never Sleeps, a gold hit and its single, "Just a Friend," into a Top Ten pop single. While its success made Markie a semistar, it also cursed him. Not only was he consigned as a novelty act, but it brought enough attention that Gilbert O'Sullivan sued him over the unauthorized sample of "Alone Again (Naturally)" on Biz's 1991 album I Need A Haircut. The lawsuit severely cut into Markie's career, and 1993's All Samples Cleared was the last record he released during the '90s. However, his reputation was restored somewhat in the mid-'90s as Beastie Boys championed him and other alternative groups showed some debt to his wild, careening music.
Read More...A native of New York, Biz (born Marcel Hall) first came to prominence in the early '80s, when he began rapping at Manhattan nightclubs like the Funhouse and the Roxy. Biz met producer Marley Marl in 1985, and began working as a human beatbox for Marl-connected acts MC Shan and, later, Roxanne Shanté. He also recorded his first set of demos, and by 1988, had signed with Cold Chillin'. Later that year, he released his debut, Goin' Off, which became a word-of-mouth hit based on the underground hit singles "Vapors," "Pickin' Boogers," and "Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz." A year later, he broke into the mainstream when "Just a Friend," a single featuring rapped verses and out-of-tune sang choruses, reached the pop Top Ten, and its accompanying album, The Biz Never Sleeps, went gold.
The Biz Never Sleeps put him near the top of the hip-hop world, but he fell from grace as quickly as he achieved it. Biz's third album, I Need A Haircut, was already shaping up to be a considerable sales disappointment when he was served a lawsuit from Gilbert O'Sullivan, who claimed that the album's "Alone Again" featured an unauthorized sample of his hit "Alone Again (Naturally)." Gilbert O'Sullivan won the case in a ruling that drastically changed the rules of hip-hop. According to the ruling, Warner Bros., the parent company of Cold Chillin', had to pull I Need A Haircut from circulation, and all companies had to clear samples fully before releasing a hip-hop record. Biz countered with his 1993 album, All Samples Cleared, but his career had already been hurt by the lawsuit, and the record bombed.
For the remainder of the decade, he kept a low profile, occasionally guesting on records by Beastie Boys and filming a freestyle television commercial for MTV2 in 1996. The alliance with The Besties raised his profile considerably, but Biz began DJing instead of continuing to record. Finally, in 2003, he released Weekend Warrior for Tommy Boy, though it was his appearance (and victory) in 2005 on VH1' s Celebrity Fit Club that brought him more attention than the actual record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Just A Friend - (4:00) - 32,396 playsLyricsHave you ever met a girl that you tried to date
But a year to make love she wanted you to wait?
Let me tell ya a story of my situation
I was talkin' to this girl from the U.S. nation
The way that I met her was on tour at a concert
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Vapors - (4:33) - 2,105 playsLyricsCan you feel it
Nothin' can save ya
For this is the seaon of catchin' the vpors
And since I got time, what I'm gonna do
Is tell ya how to spread it throughout my crew
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Nobody Beats the Biz - (3:31) - 1,176 playsLyrics"special marley marl remixes" may differ from the original version
Yes, y'all-and, to the like beat-and
You could either dance or just have a seat and
Listen to the way-in, what I am displayin
A different kind of rapper language that I am sayin
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Pickin' Boogers - (4:37) - 1,015 playsLyricsNow this may sound disgusting an' like very gross
But it's sure to have your trippin'
So y'all listen close
It's not bright as the sun or sweet like sugar
But it's rather on the bug tip and it's called Pickin' Boogers
- Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz - (4:57) - 819 plays
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- Just A Friend - Single Version - (4:03) - 1,251 plays
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- Spring Again - (4:06) - 722 plays
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- Biz Is Goin' Off - (4:42) - 713 plays
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- This Is Something for the Radio - (5:07) - 588 plays
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- Just A Friend (1989) - (4:03) - 953 plays
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- Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz - (4:58) - 667 plays
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- Biz's Beat Of The Day #1 - (0:36) - 841 plays
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- Albee Square Mall - (4:45) - 508 plays
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- She's Not Just Another Woman (Monique) - (3:42) - 433 plays
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- Check It Out - (3:59) - 388 plays
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- I Hear Music - (3:47) - 370 plays
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- Return of the Biz Dance - (4:02) - 366 plays
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- The Dragon - (4:11) - 356 plays
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- Young Girl Bluez - (3:17) - 417 plays
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- Mudd Foot - (4:09) - 339 plays



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