Prayers Up! Legendary Rapper Biz Markie Still Battling Serious Illness

(Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Mastercard)

Legendary rapper, Biz Markie, who brought us such hits like “Just a Friend” and “Vapors” has taken a serious hit to his health. As he starts his 57th birthday, the rapper – whose real name is Marcel Theo Hall – has been receiving treatment at a hospital in Maryland.

Representatives for the rapper have confirmed to TMZ that his hospitalization is not related to the coronavirus but was triggered due to complications from Type 2 diabetes. Sources have also confirmed that the beatboxing champion has been the hospital for weeks. Apparently, he has been keeping his condition under wraps, but it steadily has gotten worse.

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago, Biz made some changes and his health was going in a positive direction. Through diet, exercise and cutting back on sugar, the beatboxing funnyman and hip-hop icon went from 385 to 244 pounds and hopes to lose 30 more.

“I walk. I do the treadmill, I walk around the mall,” Biz, 49, told the Daily News. “I do a little crunches with my stomach, not that much. Just enough to get the engine going cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha! Vroooommmmm.”

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Another big step: Swapping his sugary soda habit for the no-calorie drink Zevia, made with stevia. It comes in a range of flavors like Cola, Ginger Ale and Biz’s favorite, Black Cherry.

(Photo credit: Biz Markie Twitter)

“Instead of me drinking a soda that’s got 70 sugars in it, it has no sugar and it’s sweeter. It’s like God said, ‘Yo, we need you on earth a little longer!’” Biz said. “I take it on the road, I take it everywhere. I would have a Zevia IV if I could.”

Biz has even taught a few cooking classes through Living Social in nearby D.C. “Chicken stir fry, chicken pad Thai with peanut butter sauce. Sugar-free lemon cupcakes. I make anything you want,” he said and gives credit to his parents for teaching him how to cook.

While we don’t know exactly what kind of complication Biz is currently facing, we do understand how long-term complications of Type 2 diabetes can develop gradually, and can eventually be disabling or even life-threatening. Some of the potential complications of diabetes include:

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• Heart and blood vessel disease – Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels (atherosclerosis).
• Nerve damage (neuropathy) – Excess sugar can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Eventually, you may lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Damage to the nerves that control digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, erectile dysfunction may be an issue.
• Kidney damage – Diabetes can sometimes lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• Eye damage – Diabetes increases the risk of serious eye diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma, and may damage the blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to blindness.
• Slow healing – Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections, which may heal poorly. Severe damage might require toe, foot or leg amputation.
• Hearing impairment – Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
• Skin conditions – Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.
• Sleep apnea – Obstructive sleep apnea is common in people with type 2 diabetes. Obesity may be the main contributing factor to both conditions. Treating sleep apnea may lower your blood pressure and make you feel more rested, but it’s not clear whether it helps improve blood sugar control.
• Alzheimer’s disease – Type 2 diabetes seems to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, though it’s not clear why. The worse your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be.

Another hip hop pioneer took a huge loss at the hand of Type 2 Diabetes. Ten years ago, Doctor Dre, of the groundbreaking hip-hop TV show… Yo! MTV Raps, developed Type 2 diabetes. The DJ and hip-hop expert revealed that the disease has caused him to lose a toe, suffer numerous ankle injuries and in 2013, it took his eyesight as well.

“My stubbornness put me where I’m at. Now my energy is going to change that,” Dre said. “We got young people, grown people, old, all having this. We can prevent this. We can cure this.”

(Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for Saks Fifth Avenue)

The status of Biz’s condition is unclear at this time, but he is said to be “receiving the best care from an amazing team of medical professionals” while hospitalized.