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LL Cool J, Rita Wilson and More Honor Biz Markie at the 2021 Emmys

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…

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.

Frazer Harrison/Rich Fury/Getty Images

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.