Just A Friend

There are songs that will stick with you forever. I was 19 years old when “Just a Friend” was released in 1989. Starting my sophomore year in college, the track became a fun, sing along jam that EVERYONE knew and loved. The artist of course being “The Diabolical” Biz Markie.

There are reports all over social media today that the Biz has either died or is close to death. According to his manager, “Biz is still under medical care, surrounded by professionals who are working hard to provide the best healthcare possible." "At this time, we ask for your continued thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

Let’s take Throwback Thursday as an opportunity to revisit the Biz and his classic.

Born Marcel Theo Hall in New York City, he began his career in New York nightclubs and later gained regional recognition by performing at colleges in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

“Just a Friend” was the lead single from his album, The Biz Never Sleeps. It is Markie's most successful single, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. The song interpolates the 1968 song "(You) Got What I Need" recorded by Freddie Scott, whose basic chord and melody provided the base for the song's chorus. Markie's lyrics describe romantic frustration after pursuing a woman who is actually romantically involved with another man who she falsely claims is "just a friend."

The chorus is one that if you put on at any bar, ballgame or backyard BBQ, I pretty much guarantee, everyone will belt it out. That’s staying power. That’s creativity.

This post is not written as a eulogy as we all wish for the best for Biz – It’s written because today’s news served as a reminder that great songs can happen at any time, by anyone, even for the Clown Prince of Hip-Hop.