Busta Rhymes, Ice-T and others attend memorial for Biz Markie

This week, a memorial was held in Long Island, New York to commemorate the life of Biz Markie.

Among those paying their respects to the late hip hop pioneer were Busta Rhymes, Ice-T, Fat Joe, LL Cool J and more.

Read this next: 20 early and rare tracks from hip hop's best producers

Taking place on Monday August 2, the service saw a private gathering of family and friends at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts. Throughout the service, Markie’s peers read eulogies, reflecting on their relationship with the rapper and the impact he has made on music and popular culture more generally.

A flower arrangement reading ‘Biz’ was featured on the stage, alongside a portrait of Markie which was developed throughout the service.

Read this next: 20 of the best early-90s hip hop samples

There were also performances from the likes of Montell Jordan and Mary Brown. The event was live-streamed on BET’s Youtube channel, gathering over 115,000 views since.

Markie died last month, aged 57, following a history of severe health complications related to diabetes. He was initially hospitalised in April 2020.

Read this next: The 20 best hip hop diss track of the '90s

Over his 35-year-long career, the 'Just a Friend' star inspired admiration from fans and industry counterparts alike.

Tara Hall, who was married to the late rapper, said: “A person like that should live forever. I may not be taking care of Biz's physical body anymore, but I am going to take care of his legacy.”

Safi Bugel is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter