{"id":62034,"date":"2026-04-09T16:52:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/09\/rhyme-books-rare-demos-and-more\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:52:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:52:29","slug":"rhyme-books-rare-demos-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/09\/rhyme-books-rare-demos-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhyme Books, Rare Demos, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tBiz Markie<\/a> was one of hip-hop<\/a>\u2018s most beloved figures \u2014 an artist whose humor, humanity, and unmistakable voice made him an enduring cultural touchstone. This week, on what would have been his 62nd birthday, a private unveiling of the late rap icon<\/a>\u2018s personal archives offered a rare, deeply personal look into who he was, bridging generational gaps while celebrating his larger-than-life personality and vast array of interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is the first one,\u201d says Tara Hall, Biz Markie\u2019s widow and the driving force behind the exhibition. \u201cI felt like today\u2019s his birthday, why not show this to the closest people to him, the friends, the family?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe exclusive exhibition, held at Invite Only Studios, was deliberately intimate \u2014 an environment Hall described as both creatively aligned and secure for the fragile artifacts on display. \u201cInvite Studios is the perfect location because it\u2019s a music place,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a place where people are creative. It\u2019s safe for the art. It\u2019s controlled. I feel very comfortable in this space. So, that\u2019s what makes it the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat filled the room was not just memorabilia, but a living, breathing timeline of hip-hop history, as told through more than 50 carefully preserved items. Among them: Biz\u2019s wallet, notebooks, handwritten lyrics, demo tapes, master recordings, and even his food stamp booklet. There were artifacts like the rhyme book in which he penned his breakout hit, \u201cJust a Friend,\u201d<\/a> alongside cultural relics like a \u201cJust a Friend\u201d cassette single, an autographed microphone, signed sunglasses, and paperwork from the landmark Grand Upright vs. Warner Bros.<\/em> lawsuit that reshaped sampling law.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tBiz Markie\u2019s SL-700 Technics turntables<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvelyn Freja for Rolling Stone<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThe collection also included SL-700 Technics turntables \u2014 items Hall identifies as sacred in Biz\u2019s world. \u201cHis most prized possession are those SL-700 turntables,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you a story. After Biz passed away, I finally got through a lot of the emails, and someone asked me, \u2018Oh, my gosh, I\u2019m so sorry I missed the funeral. Did you bury Biz with his little turntables? They were his prized possession. \u2018No, I didn\u2019t, ma\u2019am.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tThere were sneakers \u2014 1986 Adidas, preserved in their original box with receipt \u2014 as well as vintage press kits from the 1980s, jewelry collections gleaming with gold, and even pieces from Biz\u2019s famously eclectic toy collection, including Black Barbie dolls. Each item functioned as both artifact and anecdote, offering insight into a man whose passions extended far beyond music.<\/p>\n

\n\tHall\u2019s journey to this moment began in the quiet aftermath of loss in 2021. \u201cThe idea started really after Biz passed away, and I started archiving all of these things. And just box after box, everything I\u2019ve looked at,\u00a0 everything I put away, I\u2019m like, \u2018This stuff shouldn\u2019t be put away, this stuff should be seen,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cI ended up finding cool things, like the rhyme book that he wrote \u2018Just a Friend\u2019 in. The pieces of paper that he wrote \u2018Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz\u2019<\/a> when he should have been in school. It was in some type of composition book. Just things like that. I\u2019m like, \u2018I think I have something here. I think I have a quintessential collection of hip-hop.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tBiz Markie\u2019s widow, Tara Hall, is the driving force behind the exhibit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvelyn Freja for Rolling Stone<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThat rhyme book, she adds, remains her most treasured piece. \u201cFor years, it was on the side of my bed in a drawer, and I never looked. And I just happened to come across it and I\u2019m like, \u2018This is like the holy grail of rap<\/a>.\u2019 But that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat\u2019s on display, however, is only a fraction of what exists. \u201cBiz has tons and tons and tons of things,\u201d Hall says. \u201cAnything that you see out there, there are 100 more of them. He has tons of rhyme books. He has tons of Barbie dolls, black Barbie dolls. So much jewelry. All his jewelry is incredible. It\u2019s gold jewelry. He has a huge record collection with thousands of records. Biz has so much. I think I can fill up an entire building for any museum. This is a tiny little snippet of what he has.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tHer role in preserving that legacy, she admits, began almost accidentally. \u201cWhen Biz was here, I just thought it was just a collection of junk. You know, just unkempt stuff. So, I would just always organize. He would come in and bring a whole bunch of stuff, and I was just constantly organizing for him. He wouldn\u2019t let me throw away anything. But now I know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAttendees at the exhibition were also treated to unreleased demo recordings, including a rare early tape titled \u201cSlugo.\u201d \u201cI won an item in an auction and it happened to be a two-inch [reel], but it was the very first time that Biz was in the studio and he was beatboxing,\u201d Hall says. \u201cHe was actually trying to get a [record] deal, and that\u2019s what that tape is. It\u2019s never been heard before. We\u2019re going to play it for the folks today. It\u2019s beautiful. It\u2019s 24-year-old Biz beat-boxing, trying to get a record deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhether those recordings will ever see a wider release remains uncertain. \u201cWe\u2019ll see. We\u2019ll see,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t like to over-promise things. I like to do things and then let people find out about them as opposed to talking about them, and they never happen. So, let\u2019s just keep it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tPhotographer George DuBose in front of his photo of Biz Markie.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvelyn Freja for Rolling Stone<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tComplementing the archival display was a major artistic reveal from legendary photographer George DuBose, whose lens helped define Biz Markie\u2019s visual identity. For the exhibition, DuBose unveiled a never-before-seen portrait from the photoshoot for Biz\u2019s debut single, \u201cMake the Music With Your Mouth Biz\u201d \u2014 a release now marking its 40th anniversary.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThese pictures were from his first single photoshoot that I did,\u201d DuBose says. \u201cThis is what the event\u2019s about: raising charity for the Biz Markie Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHis involvement came after a transatlantic reconnection, when Hall came to visit him in Germany, where he now lives. The newly unveiled portrait captures a young Biz at the threshold of his career \u2014 playful, experimental, and unmistakably himself. DuBose recalls the session vividly. \u201cBiz was wearing black short pants and a striped shirt. \u2018You look like a football referee,\u2019 which I thought was unusual, but at the time there weren\u2019t any special clothing companies for hip-hop, except for maybe Dapper Dan. But there was no Karl Kani; there was no Tommy Hilfiger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe shoot itself was as DIY as early hip-hop. \u201cFunny story was Biz had his hat made with this special font that I didn\u2019t recognize,\u201d DuBose continues. \u201cAnd after I did the photo shoot, I asked Biz, \u2018Where did those letters come from?\u2019 And he told me that there were shops in Times Square where you could get those letters put on a T-shirt or a hat. So I had to go to a shop in Times Square and buy all the letters from \u2018Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTechnically, the image is rooted in analog precision. \u201cIt was a Hasselblad, which makes square pictures, because the record covers used to be square and CDs were square, so the square camera format worked better,\u201d DuBose adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond technique, DuBose emphasizes the spirit Biz brought to every frame. \u201cWell, I didn\u2019t know him hardly at this time,\u201d he says. \u201cBiz was always funny. I mean, he was a clown and he was always joking. Only one time I saw Biz in a bad mood. He was always in a good mood. He always had funny ideas, and I helped execute his ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat energy, he believes, is what continues to resonate. \u201cTo go back and listen to the music\u2026 This is 40 years ago. Young kids weren\u2019t even born when this stuff came out, you know? So, I hope that this opens up the incredible humorous material that he created, and it keeps his face in the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Hall, that enduring connection is the exhibition\u2019s emotional core. \u201cI love it. I get messages from people every day, all day, about Biz,\u201d she says. \u201cBiz obviously made people feel a certain way and feel good about themselves, which was absolutely beautiful. He\u2019s appreciated and very missed by the world. Of course, my family and I, but Biz is missed across the board. He was an awesome human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tIf this first exhibition was a test run, it was also a promise. Hall envisions something far larger \u2014 a traveling or permanent installation that fully captures the breadth of Biz\u2019s archive. \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019m bringing Biz\u2019s artifacts out. We\u2019re going to see how it goes. If more people are interested in seeing what we do, give me a call. I\u2019m interested. I\u2019d love to let the public see what Biz collected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond exhibitions, she also hints at a broader slate of anniversary projects tied to the 40th anniversary of Biz\u2019s debut. \u201cI got a lot of cool things going on this year for Biz. We\u2019re really trying hard to get his album re-released again. We\u2019ve got some cool things going on with Guitar Center, some gear and stuff. There\u2019s a lot of cool things. Just wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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