News about Biz Markie

Sacha Jenkins, a journalist and director who has devoted a large portion of his life to chronicling the art form, says, "Hip-hop is about people." Jenkins and co-curator Sally Berman opened the exhibition "Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious" at the Swedish photography museum Fotografiska's Park Avenue outpost last week. If you first step into the exhibition, which runs in New York until May 21 before heading to Stockholm and Berlin, two rooms feature striking photographs of people who witnessed hip-hop's birth. Jenkins says that only a few of them have any notable brand recognition, proving a time when "hip-hop wasn't aware of itself." These images support that hip-hop was a direct creative extension of its first home in the Bronx, a far cry from the glitzier stylings to which many young fans may be familiar. A 1983 photo by Martha Cooper shows a crew of children carrying a piece of cardboard that they might use to break their fate, a photograph that sadly matches the Beatles' Abbey Road cover art. It brings you back to another time, a reminder that what has developed into one of the country's most popular cultural exports is not limited to a small group's lifestyle.

Grand Daddy I.U., a hip-hop artist who made a name for himself in the 90s, has died at the age of 54. The New York-bred emcee was best known for his debut album Smooth Assassin, which was released under Biz Markie's name Cold Chillin' Records. Rapper LL Cool J, a 54-year-old rapper, was among the first to pay their respects to the actor in a 'Rest in power king' forum,' he wrote online. HipHop is embedded in your DNA.'

The BET Awards on Sunday night (June 26) marked a celebration of Black artists' contribution, as well as Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, and Kendrick Lamar's. Many creatives also had a platform to protest the Supreme Court's decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, the historic 1973 ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion. Lizzo opened the show with a rendition of her new album "About Damn Time," bringing along her flute for a rousing solo that has become a signature of her live performances. Taraji P. Henson, the Oscar-nominated actress who appeared for the second year in a row, lauded Black entertainers in their opening address. Referring to SCOTUS's decision on permitting open firearms carrying in public, she referred to the song's name to protest the stripping of human rights and favoring guns.