Historical Significance of Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz

Released in 1986, Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz marked the recorded debut of Biz Markie and introduced one of the most original personalities in hip hop to the world. The project established the creative identity that would later define his career, leading to internationally recognized works such as Just a Friend and cementing his place in music history.

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The photographs from this session, created by legendary hip hop photographer George DuBose, represent the earliest professional studio portraits of Biz Markie at the beginning of his rise. DuBose is widely known for producing some of the most iconic images in hip hop, including album covers and promotional photography for artists such as Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys.

The imagery from the Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz session captures Biz Markie before mainstream fame, preserving the moment when his visual identity was first formally introduced. These photographs have since become part of the permanent visual canon of hip hop’s formative era.

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Because early hip hop photography was rarely preserved, and original negatives were often lost or scattered, surviving archival material from this period is extremely limited. The Biz Markie Estate’s access to the original archive and formal authorization of these images represents one of the only opportunities to acquire estate-sanctioned works from this foundational moment.

Today, Biz Markie is recognized as one of the most influential and recognizable figures in hip hop history, and images from his earliest sessions carry both cultural and historical importance.