Goin' Off
Goin' Off is the debut studio album by American hip hop musician Biz Markie. The album was released by Cold Chillin' Records, and produced by Marley Marl. Big Daddy Kane wrote the lyrics of the album's first five songs. The album also showcased Biz's talent as a human beatbox on the song "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz", and his skill in the game of dozens on the track "Nobody Beats the Biz". One of his most widely known songs, "Vapors", was on the album.
| Goin' Off | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 23, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | July–November 1987 | |||
| Genre | Golden age hip hop | |||
| Length | 45:24 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Marley Marl | |||
| Biz Markie chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Goin' Off | ||||
| ||||
Some reissues from 1995 onwards replace the Marley Marl remix of "Make the Music with Your Mouth" with the original 12" version, the album version of "Vapors" with the remix, and the original "This Is Something for the Radio" with the remix. In 2006, the album was re-released by Traffic Entertainment Group with a bonus disc. It restores the original album versions of "Vapors" and "This Is Something for the Radio" as well as the Marley Marl remix of "Make the Music" that appeared on the original LP.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [2] |
| NME | 8/10[3] |
| RapReviews | 8/10[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| The Village Voice | B[6] |
Reviewing for The Village Voice in July 1988, Robert Christgau highlighted "This Is Something for the Radio" and "Pickin' Boogers", which he called "timeless", but suggested the other singles had less "life".[6]
In 1998, Goin' Off was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.[7]
The album is broken down track-by-track by Biz Markie in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.[8]
Track listing
- All tracks produced by Marley Marl.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pickin' Boogers" | 4:42 |
| 2. | "Albee Square Mall" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Biz is Goin' Off" | 4:50 |
| 4. | "Return of the Biz Dance" | 3:59 |
| 5. | "Vapors" | 4:33 |
| 6. | "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz" (featuring TJ Swan) | 4:56 |
| 7. | "Biz Dance (Part One)" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Nobody Beats the Biz" | 5:42 |
| 9. | "This Is Something for the Radio" | 5:14 |
| 10. | "Cool V's Tribute to Scratching" | 3:07 |
Personnel
| Contributors | |
| Producers | |
|---|---|
| Producer(s) | Marley Marl; Co-Producer(s) Biz Markie, DJ Cool V |
| Executive Producer(s) | Benny Medina |
| Performers | |
| Lead vocals and rhyming | Biz Markie |
| Additional and background vocals | TJ Swan |
| Technicians | |
| Mixing | Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Cool V |
| Engineering | Marley Marl, Andre Booth |
| Mastering | Carlton Batts |
| Photography | George DuBose |
| Design | George DuBose |
Singles
| Singles | ||||
| Title | B-Side | Release Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Vapors" | ||||
| "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz" "The Biz Dance" "They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haa" |
"A One, Two" "The Biz Dance [Dub Version]" "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz [Instrumental]" |
1986 | ||
| "Nobody Beats the Biz" | "A One, Two" "Nobody Beats the Biz [Dub Version]" |
1987 | ||
| "Pickin' Boogers" | "A One, Two" "Pickin' Boogers [Dub Version] |
1987 | ||
| "Biz Is Goin' Off" "The Do Do (Bonus Beats)" |
"A One, Two" "Biz Is Goin' Off [Dub Version]" |
1988 | ||
| "This Is Something for the Radio" | "This Is Something for the Radio [Dub Version]" "This Is Something for the Radio [Dub-Acapella]" |
1988 | ||
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 90 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] | 19 |
References
- Bush, John. "Goin' Off – Biz Markie". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- Gold, Jonathan (September 11, 1988). "The World of Hard Rap". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- O'Hagan, Sean (March 12, 1988). "Biz Markie: Goin' Off". NME. p. 31.
- Juon, Steve "Flash" (March 9, 2004). "Biz Markie :: Goin' Off :: Cold Chillin'/Prism Records". RapReviews. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- Sarig, Roni (2004). "Biz Markie". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Christgau, Robert (July 26, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
- "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source. New York (#100). January 1998. ISSN 1063-2085. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
- Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.
- "Biz Markie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- "Biz Markie Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2017.