Family confirms Biz Markie is alive after false death report
“Biz is still under medical care,” they said, “surrounded by professionals who are working hard to provide the best health care possible.”
Hip-hop legend Biz Markie is still alive, despite reports Wednesday that he had passed away. The 57-year-old musician is reportedly in hospice care, and his family is asking fans for their positive thoughts and prayers.
“Biz is still under medical care,” Markie’s manager, Jenni Izumi, told NBC News, “surrounded by professionals who are working hard to provide the best health care possible.”
Hip-hop icon Biz Markie is still alive, despite reports from REVOLT Wednesday that the 57-year-old had passed away. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Izumi said his “wife and family are touched by the outpouring of love and admiration from his friends, peers and fans alike.”
REVOLT, the hip-hop news website founded by Sean Love Combs, posted a story Wednesday evening announcing Markie’s passing that garnered immediate responses of condolences from the famous and unknown alike. The initial report, however, but was later deleted after the facts bore out that Biz Markie was still alive.
The site later posted this statement from his family: “The news of Biz Markie’s passing is not true. 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.”
However, the REVOLT error upset many, as expressed on social media.
Veteran journalist Roland Martin called out the site for the inaccurate post, writing, in a lengthy Twitter thread: “Folks, @BizMarkie has NOT died. I have been in contact with sources who are texting and talking to his wife. My source talked to Biz TODAY. Per his wife, Biz HAS NOT passed away. Please stop responding to non-credible sources. This hurts the family, friends, and fans.”
“The folks at @revolttv owe the public an apology for posting that story,” the former CNN contributor tweeted. “I know @Diddy and [Revolt CEO] @Detavio. There should be an IMMEDIATE assessment of their journalistic protocols to determine how that story got published on the site. There must be editorial standards in place.”
In a May interview, longtime Markie friend and collaborator Big Daddy Kane talked to The Breakfast Club about his pal’s condition. “He’s in rehabilitation now,” Kane said of Biz. “He’s getting better and stronger every day … He stuck his middle finger up at me, so I think he’s coming along.”
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