Filmmaker Sacha Jenkins chronicles The self-proclaimed “Clown Prince of Hip Hop’s” legacy through candid interviews with colorful animations, a Biz Markie puppet, and old videos of the rapper in proper form.

The Humanbeat beatbox. Ascending to fame with the improvised quirky yet melodic sounds he could belt at any given moment and his universal hit, “Just A Friend,” Biz Markie was more than just his goofy exploits. And ‘All Up in the Biz’ captures the multi-faceted performer’s essence through his career’s ups and downs.

Many Hip Hop heads like myself are still celebrating Hip Hop’s indelible mark the music genre has made on pop culture and pretty much every facet of life. And while Hip Hop’s official birthday was on August 11th, with a 50th anniversary celebrated worldwide, homage and tributes are still on the horizon for the rest of the year. One recent commemoration was held on August 31st, tentatively proclaimed Biz Markie Day, by the New York Mayor’s office as they announced the proclamation at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.

Champions and supporters of this campaign include the late rapper’s wife, Tara Hall, who leads his Just A Friend foundation, established to provide resources for foster kids as once Biz Markie was. Plus, organizers of the event ImageNation, a cultural nonprofit entertainment hub in Harlem, advocating for and helping to sponsor spectacular community cinema and music events and Up In The Biz’s distributor, Showtime.

This late summer Thursday evening leading up to the All Up In the Biz screening attracted people of all ages and races. From men in their Zulu nation get-ups and women outfitted in head-to-toe African bohemian and contemporary fashion, dancing non-stop to the nostalgic grooves of DJ Hollywood and listening intently to the rhythmic verses of the Last Poets, who celebrate 55 years together this year, it was an ode to Hip Hop nostalgia.

Following the eclectic mix of artists on stage came a projection of All Up In the Biz, directed by Sacha Jenkins (Bitchin’: The Sounds and Fury of Rick James, Word Is Bond), a Hip Hop historian, visual artist, and preservationist of the music genre.

The film begins with old footage of Biz Markie’s early life, moving from Harlem to Long Island’s Patchogue region. He found a passion for music, coming into his own as a human beatbox, rapper, and DJ. While performing, he encountered 17-year-old Big Daddy Kane and Rakim, who went to the same high school as Biz, encouraging both to raise their profile in New York City clubs by rapping. Hip Hop powerhouses Big Daddy Kane and Rakim acknowledge Biz Markie’s influence on their careers. Others like Dougie Fresh and Roxanne Shanté, a prominent Juice Crew member and Biz Markie was part of, reflect on and reminisce about the rapper’s passion for music, collectibles, and his undeniable gift for beatboxing.

But Marcel Theo Hall took the moniker Biz Markie, a name rooted in his mother calling him a busybody when he was young and neighborhood friends giving him the name Markie for short; life wasn’t always a bed of roses. The rapper was battling Type 2 diabetes for most of his life and had fallouts with a few rappers, shady business dealings with music producers, and the repercussions of unlicensed music samples. Despite it all, the beloved rapper persevered and kept reinventing himself, as the documentary illustrates. Click here to check out this in-depth portrait of Biz Markie’s contributions to Hip Hop and eventful life, now streaming on Showtime and Paramount+.