Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

                                                                                                                                             Biz Markie's low-profile final year shielded him from prying eyes and public pity. Occasional whispers and premature death announcements be damned--- Biz's eventual passing is a major blow for hip hop and reminder of rap's mortality. An overwhelming number of legendary artists are passing from this earth on the cusp or in the midst of middle age. Two words sum up his legacy: Biz Is. To the mainstream, he's the court jester tethered to a classic song that lives on thirty-two years after its release. To Biz's inner circle, he'll forever be that the mysterious drifter who turned up in Queens, Harlem, Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey during rap's embryonic moments. A traveling hip hop hologram of sorts, Biz's sense of timing is immaculate. While hanging at Wyandanch High in Long Island, he saw Kid Wizard spit rhyme

Verzuz' greatest moments occur when the spotlight shines on Black music legends of decades past. The recent Bobby Brown- Keith Sweat battle carries on that tradition. From viewer reaction and even without a major hit in years---the legend of both singers still burns brightly.  Brown enjoys a higher profile---thanks to  much-documented trials, tribulations, and hard-fought triumphs compared to Sweat's  flurry of press coverage (see September '92 Ebony Magazine  piece "Can A Mailroom Clerk from The Projects Find Happiness and Stardom in 2 Atlanta Dream Houses?"). The Harlem crooner's  pedigree lies not in a high-profile persona or across-the-board crossover moments, but in a catalog of durable hits standing the test of time.  Usually linked to fellow New Jack Swing arbiter Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat is more than a seminal architect of R&B's future. He's also a throwback to its past. Born in '61 (or '56 if you do the interview math), Sweat mode