Affectionately known as the “Clown Prince of Hip Hop,” Biz Markie lit up the room with not only his infectious smile but also his uplifting, typically humorous music. But the world grew a little dimmer when the Juice Crew OG lost his fight with Type II diabetes on July 16.
To honor his inimitable legacy, his hometown of Patchogue, Long Island is dedicating a street to the late Hip Hop legend.
Biz’s widow, Tara Davis, revealed the news via Instagram on Wednesday (September 15), writing, “HONORARY STREET NAMING DEDICATION! In honor of the contributions Biz has achieved as an actor, beatboxed, DJ and philanthropist, his hometown of Patchogue Long Island will honor him with the renaming of South Street to Biz Markie Way!”
The public event takes place on Saturday (September 25) at 2 p.m. ET behind the 6th District Court located at 150 West Main Street in the southwest parking lot.
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Biz Markie was laid to rest on August 2 in New York City, with friends, family and peers showing up in droves to pay their respects.
Fellow Juice Crew member Roxanne Shanté, his DJ Cutmaster Cool V, Montell Jordan and Rev. Al Sharpton were a few who took the podium to speak about their fallen friend or sing a song, while Fat Joe, Ice-T, Erick Sermon, Parish Smith, Redman, Big Daddy Kane, Kid Capri and De La Soul’s Maseo were among the attendees.
Tributes haven’t stopped pouring in since Biz’s untimely death, and Cool V is ecstatic about the latest honor.
“This is great,” Cool V tells HipHopDX. “Biz deserves it. We tried to make it happen while he was here, but the great part is Patchogue made it happen. Nobody Beats The Biz!”
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Jurassic 5 turntablist Cut Chemist recently crafted a mix entirely dedicated to his “Moonlightin’ With Biz” collaborator.
“Biz was a mentor and a friend,” Cut Chemist told DX last month. “He taught me so much as a collector. He also taught me that you could be unlike anyone else and still be accepted. Working on a song together felt natural like two friends diggin music and then building off of that to make music. It was a true honor to get to know him as best I could over the last 25 + years.”
Check it out below.
