LL Cool J, Rita Wilson and More Honor Biz Markie at the 2021 Emmys
LL Cool J attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Rita Wilson attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
The 2021 Emmys kicked off with a major surprise when host Cedric the Entertainer began singing the late Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend.”
When LL Cool J emerged from the crowd, the crowd went wild, while other attendees like Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson and David Andrew Burd joined in for the chorus. Rita Wilson got a shining solo of the song, surprising us with her rap skills. It was an amazing sight to see the rest of the actors watching join in, standing and singing along with the song. What an amazing tribute to the legendary rapper!
Biz Markie passed away at the young age of 57 on July 16 this year, hospitalized in April of 2020 due to severe complications from Type 2 diabetes. In December of that year, Markie was staying in a rehabilitation facility as a result of a stroke he had suffered after going into a diabetic coma.
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Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.