New York (AFP)
They are millions to have, like him, sung out of tune on the chorus of "Just a Friend", his greatest hit: Biz Markie, the "friend" of hip-hop, died on Friday at the age of 57, according to several media Americans.
"I'm going to miss you so much my friend, it hurts. So many memories," said rapper Q-Tip, also from Harlem, New York.
Known for his beatboxing skills and his self-deprecating lyrics, Marcel Theo Hall launched his career in the mid-1980s.
The release in 1989 of the tasty "Just a Friend" had propelled the career of the "Clown of Hip-Hop" in the light.
His autobiographical song "Vapors", where he recalled his teenage ambitions, was covered by Snoop Dogg in 1997.
More recently, Biz Markie was known for his talents as a DJ.
He had participated in musical shows with several new rap stars like Cordae.
Biz Markie had also made several appearances on the big screen, often to play a humorous take on himself and even lent his voice to the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants.
His fame went far beyond the borders of New York or the United States, the artist performing regularly abroad, such as at the Bataclan, in Paris.
“Biz Markie turned hip-hop upside down and introduced New York's sense of humor to audiences around the world,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter.
"We are mourning a real son from Harlem tonight."
A few months ago, Biz Markie himself was moved by the death of another great New Yorker, the rapper DMX.
© 2021 AFP