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Biz
Markie has gone from being the beat box, “Clown Prince of
Hip Hop” to platinum selling rapper, legal landmark and now
one of the most in-demand DJ’s in the world, backing Will
Smith’s events, the most recent, Hitch Movie Premier, spinning
at the Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star Game, The Grammy’s—wherever
the party is needed. The Biz has DJ’ed parties for Kobe Bryant,
Berry Gordy, Shaq, Diana Ross, P. Diddy and Jermaine Dupri among
others.
Now on the DJ’ing note,
Biz Markie earnestly says, “I’m just trying to be
the best DJ I could ever be. I moved to Maryland and started making
a nice little living DJ’ing. So I decided to stay there
for a while. I spend most of my year DJ’ing on the road.
I like to play the old school. Not just New York old school. If
I’m in Houston I like to play their old school. If I’m
in Iowa I like to play their old school. ”
An old school legend himself,
Biz has been collecting records since junior high, before he hooked
up with producer Marley Marl and made immortal classics like “Make
The Music With Your Mouth.” But back then, at his home in
Long Island, Biz’s parents were concerned about his rap
ambitions. His brothers and sisters were pursuing respectable
careers as doctors, lawyers and police chiefs. Why was Biz going
around making weird noises? And how could this class goof-off
still be smoking his math tests? Baffled, they sent him to the
psychiatrist. “They thought, ‘He must be cheating
or something.”, says Biz. “The doctor just had me
look at ink blots and dumb stuff like that. I used to go there,
do what I had to do, Moms pick me up and I’d steal the People
Magazines. They thought, “He must be straight crazy.
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While
the rest of the worlds may think Biz is crazy, he’s one of
the few rappers comfortable at being himself. No image consultant
required; just maybe a costume change. Only Biz could increase his,
“street cred” by hanging out at the Apollo in drag,
long before Dennis Rodman went for the eye shadow and Martin went
She-Nay-Nay. “Everybody bit that style,” shrugs Biz.
“I used to go to Apollo and clubs with a dress on and a wig
and glasses. I did that before Martin and Jamie Foxx, before Dennis
Rodman came out. I still got pictures.” You mean on stage?
“I’m talking about regular public.” They recognize
you? “They know who I am!"
Vintage
toy collectors certainly know who he is. |
| During
his DJ travels, while searching for records to turn the party out,
Biz has gotten into serious sneaker, lunch box collecting as well
as old portable electronic football games, wooden airplanes, GI Joes
and Rock Em Sock Em Robots. “It’s just like records,”
he says. “I know exactly the places to look. You don’t
want people to burn your spots out.” But
it’s not like the vapor-chasers wouldn’t recognize hip
hop’s most popular action figure. You’ve heard him on
Pepto Bismol commercials. And you’ve seen Biz on Sprite commercials,
VH-1 or just bugging out with Will Smith in Men In Black 2. And
just a couple of years ago, you heard Biz’s tune-def platinum
hit “Just A Friend” remade by Mario into yet another
anthem.
Biz
remains one of rap’s most beloved celebrities. His recording
hiatus was partly due to the fact he discovered a new career in
DJing. “I wanted to go back to the essence and learn to DJ.
I got bored of rap because rap wasn’t what it was before.”
Hip
hop’s current mass appeal will only feed Biz’s ever-expanding
popularity. While a lot’s changed in hip hop since his fabled
days with Marley’s Juice Crew, Biz’s patented playful
but clever flow sounds better than ever. Biz’s adventurous
beatmaking remains undaunted by his well-publicized 1991 sample
lawsuit with Gilbert O’Sullivan. a ruling which changed the
sound of the rap industry—from P. Diddy paying big loot for
clearance to Industry producers being forced to new realms of creativity
and camouflage. |
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