Biz Markie has not died, NBC News reports, citing a statement from the rapper’s manager.
“The news of Biz Markie’s passing is not true,” Biz Markie’s rep, Jenni Izumi, wrote.
Izumi continued, “Biz is still under medical care, surrounded by professionals who are working hard to provide the best health care possible. Biz’s wife and family are touched by the outpouring of love and admiration from his friends, peers and fans alike. At this time, we ask for your continued thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Izumi did not give information regarding the specifics of Markie’s current condition.
The artist’s rep released the statement after reports of Markie’s death began to spread online and people started sharing their condolences.
In 2020, Markie, who has type 2 diabetes, was hospitalized for weeks, TMZ reported in July. In a 2013 interview with the New York Daily News, Markie said that he lost 140 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2010.
“I walk. I do the treadmill, I walk around the mall,” Markie, real name Marcel Theo Hall, said at the time. “I do a little crunches with my stomach, not that much. Just enough to get the engine going cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha! Vroooommmmm.”
The now 57-year-old is known for hits like 1989’s “Just a Friend” and appearing in the 2002 movie Men in Black II as the character Alien Beatboxer.
