Biz Markie

Biz Markie is looking slim and trim thanks to healthy diet and exercise. The 49-year-old hip-hop legend dropped a whopping 141 pounds in an effort to control his high-blood pressure and diabetes.

The way rappers string their words together with such flow and fluidity is a great art form. And for the fans who adore their work, their rhymes have become a source of inspiration. While some loyal supporters are inspired to become lyricists themselves, others show their devotion by putting paint or charcoal to paper...

Born Marcel Hall in Harlem, N.Y., Biz Markie strived to be hip-hop's fourth Stooge, that goofball kid in the classroom who just had to hog the attention; he eventually found it with 1988's 'Goin' Off,' his independent debut and proof that rap didn't always have to take itself seriously...