A new documentary, All Up in the Biz, will examine the life of the late rapper, Biz Markie, who was known as the “Clown Prince of Hip-Hop” thanks to lighthearted songs like “Just a Friend.” A clip from the film, which premieres Aug. 11 on Showtime, focuses on Biz’s sense of humor.
In between shots of the rapper dunking on audience members and his friends with “your mother” and “you’re so bald” jokes, comedian Tracy Morgan, who was friends with Biz, explains the roots of the hip-hop artist’s comic sense. “Humor comes in from slavery — not just hip-hop,” the comedian says. “‘Cause you know it was hot picking that cotton out there in that fucking cottonfield all day. So we only had three things that keep us really afloat, and that was joking, music, and sex.”
“What people don’t understand is that humor — specifically the dozens — plays a major role in hip-hop,” doc filmmaker Sacha Jenkins tells Rolling Stone.
Johnny Famous aka “Scoob Lover,” a dancer for Big Daddy Kane, also talked about Biz’s ability at “snaps” — quick one-liner insults about a person or their family. “We all snapped,” he says. “If you went into McDonald’s after [the club] Latin Quarters, either you was getting robbed or you had to know how to snap.” Morgan adds that Biz would sometimes steal snaps from him, and he’d steal from Biz.
“To be good as a freestyler and in battles, snapping and rapping are one and the same,” Craig G, a Juice Crew member, says. “It’s similar: You have to be able to say the most wittiest thing to be able to throw your opponent off.”
Jenkins — whose credits include Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues and Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men — features interviews with DMC, Fat Joe, and Nick Cannon, among others. It traces Biz’s early life growing up with a foster family after the death of his mother and learning to beatbox from Doug E. Fresh through his mainstream successes.
“Biz Markie was literally the personification of hip-hop,” Jenkins tells Rolling Stone. “There’s lots of loose chatter about hip hop’s 50th year. You can’t get into that without understanding the contributions of the Biz.”
Jenkins adds that he hopes the doc recontextualizes Biz Markie’s legacy. “Overall, Biz should be recognized as one of the chief architects of hip hop,” he says, “and an important influence on so many rappers.”