#112 Biz Markie (+ Markie Post bonus)

Just in time for Halloween, we've made it to what's likely the most fun card of the 1991 MusiCards set: #112 Biz Markie. All dressed up like a scientist, looks like he's having a blast with those beakers and whatnot. Even if you managed to make it this far in life without hearing "Just a Friend", you can tell right away this guy doesn't take himself too seriously.

Biz also shows up in the Yo! MTV Raps set, with ProSet just swapping the front and back photos there. With a similar crimson backdrop, I'm guessing both photos were from the same playful publicity shoot.

Ha, that write-up is something else. For a more legit bio, here's his Wikipedia entry. The condensed version is Marcel Hall was born in 1964 and grew up on Long Island. His beatboxing helped him make a name for himself in the mid 80s before scoring a mainstream hit in late '89 with a track borrowing from an old song called "(You) Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott.

Biz Markie - "Just a Friend"

"Just a Friend" reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and has endured as a touchstone for that era of hip-hop. I remember another cut of his, "Vapors", getting some late night MTV play around that time, and also know him from occasionally turning up in Beastie Boys recordings over the years.

Biz kept performing through the 90s, aughts, and twenty-teens, also growing his pop culture footprint by becoming somewhat of a TV personality and doing voice-acting guest spots for cartoons such as SpongeBob and Adventure Time. Complications from type 2 diabetes unfortunately took Biz from us at the too-young age of 57 in 2021.

CUSTOM CORNER

Hmm.. What would be a fitting bonus custom to add to this Biz Markie post? 

Looks like an answer is within the question! Haha, sure, let's whip up a Markie Post custom.

And yeah, Biz is pronounced "Mar-KEY" while Mz. Post is called "Marky", but just roll with it.

I watched Night Court when I was a kid and loved her on that show. I think she might've even been my first celebrity crush. Her 80s fashion/hair from that time might not've held up great, but still.

In fact, I had to go ahead and make a sexy image variation. This intriguing screenshot is taken from a 1979 episode of Hart To Hart where she plays a prostitute. Yowza

Sadly, Markie passed away from cancer at age 70 in 2021 (just 3 weeks after Biz's passing) but leaves a long list of credits to remember her by, with other highlights of her career including co-starring on the shows The Fall Guy (1982-1985) and later Hearts Afire (1992-1995). I didn't catch either of those shows, but enjoyed seeing her pop up as the mom of Dr. Elliot Reid on Scrubs, and Mary's mom in There's Something About Mary. There's also a great Night Court mini-reunion in a 2008 episode of 30 Rock, an all-time favorite show of mine.

Happy Halloween, guys. Thanks for reading my big "Markie" post and please feel free to comment below with your thoughts regarding either of the Markies covered here.

#111 Big Daddy Kane (+ Sade bonus)

Here's Big Daddy Kane looking dapper in a purple suit at card number 111 in the '91 MusiCards set. It's his only card this checklist, though he has four cards in the Yo! MTV Raps set. This photo is used on card #6 there, while the back photo below shows up on the front of Yo! card #5.

I know he's a highly-respected old school rapper, but I'm not very familiar with the work of Big Daddy Kane. I was thinking maybe he did the "Wild Wild West" song, but no, that's Kool Moe Dee. I tend to get those three-name rappers mixed up as that genre isn't quite my wheelhouse. Hey, as a dorky white kid from Southern California, I might not've been in the target demographic.

Big Daddy Kane - "Ain't No Half-Steppin'

Turns out Big Daddy Kane's biggest hit is "Ain't No Half-Steppin'". Gotta admit it's not familiar to me listening now as I draft this post, but I dig it. Another popular track of his is "Smooth Operator".

Big Daddy Kane - "Smooth Operator"

Biz Markie, mentioned on the back, is coincidentally the next MusiCard coming up. Big Daddy Kane has kept rapping over the years, with his latest single dropping back in 2020, and he acts occasionally. For more info, here's the link to his Wikipedia entry.

Since I don't have a ton to say about Big Daddy Kane, let's tack on a custom to this post.

CUSTOM CORNER

Like the "poisonous" previous post, I'm using a same-title/different-song to link mismatched artists for the heck of it.

Yep, Sade also found success with a track titled "Smooth Operator".

Sade - "Smooth Operator"

Sade's "Smooth Operator" came out a few years earlier, and Big Daddy Kane's track is unrelated (doesn't sample or reference the Sade song). It gets confusing talking about Sade (pronounced something like "sha-DAY") because that's the name of both the band and their lead singer.

The band Sade is still active since forming in London, 1982. I've never dug too deeply into Sade's catalog, but everything I've heard is enjoyable enough. Seems like good "chill out" music. Other standouts for me are "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love".

Sade - "Paradise"

But "Paradise" might be my favorite tune from Sade.

I went ahead and whipped up a bonus variation.. or maybe they exist side-by-side in this virtual "series 3" checklist, with the earlier card being Sade (the singer) and this one Sade (the band).

How about you readers? Are you into Big Daddy Kane and/or Sade? Let me know your faves in the comments if you wanna.