(CNN)Biz Markie, who infused his euphony with truthful overmuch amusive and wit that helium became known arsenic "The Clown Prince of Hip Hop," has died, his manager, Jenni Izumi, confirmed to CNN.
He was 57.
"Biz created a bequest of artistry that volition everlastingly beryllium celebrated by his manufacture peers and his beloved fans whose lives helium was capable to interaction done music, spanning implicit 35 years," Izumi said successful a written statement.
Beloved successful the euphony manufacture for his lighthearted persona, Biz Markie adjacent had a creation named for him.
Born Marcel Hall successful New York City, helium began rapping successful section clubs erstwhile helium met hep hop shaper Marley Marl successful 1985.
That gathering led to Biz Markie moving arsenic a quality beatbox with artists MC Shan and Roxanne Shanté.
In his spare time, Hall recorded demos and successful 1988, helium secured a woody with the Cold Chillin' statement to merchandise his debut album, "Goin' Off."
Radio soon caught connected and the medium launched hits with "Vapors" and "Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz."
The pursuing year, his medium "The Biz Never Sleeps" went gold, buoyed by what would beryllium his biggest hit, "Just A Friend."
His playful, bittersweet sack persona was successful nonstop opposition to immoderate of the harder halfway hep hop that had go fashionable successful the precocious 1980s.
But Biz Markie would soon find occupation with a lawsuit that helped alteration the mode the rap manufacture did business.
Musician Gilbert O'Sullivan sued the rapper implicit his opus "Alone Again" connected his 1991 medium "I Need a Haircut."
O'Sullivan charged that the rapper's usage of samples from O'Sullivan's 1972 hit, "Alone Again (Naturally)," amounted to unauthorized usage of his music.
O'Sullivan won and moving forward, hep hop artists had to wide the usage of samples.
"I inactive was me," Biz Markie said during a 2008 interview. "It wasn't a rape lawsuit oregon a weapon case. It was a sample."
The rapper had immoderate amusive with the case, naming his 1993 medium "All Samples Cleared!"
Honing his DJ skills, helium soon became known arsenic overmuch for rocking the enactment arsenic rocking the mic.
He besides expanded his vocation to see acting, appearing successful respective films and TV shows, including "Men successful Black II," arsenic a narrator connected the big puppet amusement "Crank Yankers," and connected the children's bid "Yo Gabba Gabba!" with his "Biz's Beat of the Day."
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