Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Brooklyn) is an American East Coast hip hop artist best known for humorous singles like "Just a Friend".
Markie's career began in the early 1980s as a performer, then a human beatbox for MC Shan and Roxanne Shante, among others. He signed to Cold Chillin' in 1988 (see 1988 in music) and released Goin' Off, an underground hit. "Just a Friend" (from The Biz Never Sleeps) was released the following year, and it became a mainstream hit in the United States.
As one of hip hop's biggest stars of the time, Biz had a lot of pressure for his third album, I Need a Haircut. The album was a commercial disaster, exacerbated by a lawsuit from Gilbert O'Sullivan for sampling "Alone Again (Naturally)" in the song "Alone Again". The lawsuit changed hip hop forever, as afterwards, all samples were cleared with the original artist before they could be used. Biz continued his career in 1993 (see 1993 in music), releasing All Samples Cleared, but the record was another commercial disappointment. For the next few years, Biz worked with the Beastie Boys occasionally, began DJing and kept a low profile.
