Tributes to Biz Markie have been pouring in since news broke tonight that the rap icon had died from complications with diabetes at age 57. Q-Tip wrote, "his one hurts baad ... RIP to my Aries bro... ahhh man @BizMarkie damn im gonna miss u so so many memories.. hurts bad. My FRIEND."
Mike D of Beastie Boys wrote a long, funny, touching piece on the band's socials. Here's a bit: "We are so grateful to have had so many unforgettable experiences with the truly unique and ridiculously talented Biz Markie. We will miss his presence deeply in so many ways. In the ’90s, Biz would often show up at our G Son studio in Atwater, CA. Naturally, every visit would start with a trip to the candy store — which in this case was actually a liquor store across the street. Regardless, he would always return happy with a brown paper bag full of treats. Once he had his sugar fix, he would typically grab a mic and sing whatever song he wanted, looking at us as if we’d know exactly what to play — and somehow he was usually right."