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| "Just a Friend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBiz Markie | ||||
| from the albumThe Biz Never Sleeps | ||||
| Released | September 26, 1989 (1989-09-26)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:06 | |||
| Label | Cold Chillin' | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Marcel Hall[3][4] | |||
| Producer(s) | Marcel Hall[4] | |||
| Biz Markie singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Just a Friend" onYouTube | ||||
"Just a Friend" is a song written,[3][4] produced[4] and performed by Americanhip hop artistBiz Markie. It was released in September 1989 as the lead single from his albumThe Biz Never Sleeps. It is Markie's most successful single, reaching number 9 on theBillboard Hot 100 in 1990.[5]
The songinterpolates the 1968 song "(You) Got What I Need" recorded byFreddie Scott, whose basic chord and melody provided the base for the song's chorus. Markie's lyrics[6] describe romantic frustration after pursuing a woman who is actually romantically involved with another man who she falsely claims is "just a friend." Due to the widespread popularity of the song along with its acclaim and its influence onpop culture (and Markie's failure to have another charting Hot 100 song), Biz was classified byVH1 as aone-hit wonder, and "Just a Friend" was ranked 81st on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders in 2000, and later as number 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop in 2008.[7] Karma, a staff record producer forCold Chillin' Records, toldVibe magazine in 2005 that he produced the single, but never received credit.[8] The single wascertified platinum on April 12, 1990.[9] In 2021, it was ranked at No. 480 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".[10]
The music video, directed byLionel C. Martin, acts out the lyrics humorously and includes a scene of Biz Markie singing the chorus dressed asMozart in 18th-century clothing with a powdered wig in a candlelit room while playing the piano.[11][12][13]
In 1993,Akinyele's song I Luh Hur from his albumVagina Diner mentioned "Just a Friend".[14]
In 2006, American rock bandTally Hall recorded a cover of "Just a Friend", later releasing it on streaming platforms in 2019.[15]
In 2007,Chris Rock andKerry Washington sang "Just A Friend" in a scene from the movieI Think I Love My Wife.[16]
In November 2010, actorJeff Goldblum performed the song in a duet with Markie onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon. The duet was highly requested by fans of the show and was set up byFallon andthe Roots.[17]
In June 2023, his widow, Tara Hall,[18] announced the Just a Friend Foundation[19] and confirmed a documentary about Biz Markie’s life,All Up in the Biz, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.[20]
| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] | 66 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 55 |
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100[5] | 9 |
| U.S.Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)[5] | 37 |
| U.S.Hot Rap Singles (Billboard)[5] | 5 |
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S.Billboard Hot 100[23] | 94 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
He was a DJ and beat boxer, so he was undoubtedly hip-hop, but his aesthetic was rooted in a comedy...
