The Notorious B. I. G.
Background information
Birth name	Christopher George Latore Wallace
Also known as	Biggie Smalls, Biggie, Frank White, Big Poppa
Born	May 21, 1972(1972-05-21) New York City, New York, United States
Died	March 9, 1997 (aged 24) Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre(s)	Hip hop
Years active	1992–1997
Label(s)	Bad Boy
Associated acts	Faith Evans, Sean Combs, Lil' Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jay-Z, The Commission

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again),^[1] Big Poppa, Frank White (from the film King of New York), and his primary stage name, The Notorious B. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella The Commission was an East Coast hip-hop supergroup that existed in the mid 1990s Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar For other uses see Gangsta. A gangster is a criminal who is or at some point almost invariably becomes a member of a persistent violent Let's Do It Again is a 1975 film starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. For the Charlie Chaplin film see A King in New York. King of New York is a 1990 film, starring Christopher A stage name, also called a screen name, is a Pseudonym used by Performers and Entertainers such as I. G. , was an American rapper. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Biggie grew up during the peak years of the 1980s' crack epidemic and started dealing drugs at an early age. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The crack epidemic refers to a six year period between 1984 and 1990 in the United States during which there was a huge surge in the use of Crack cocaine in major The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs When Biggie debuted with the 1994 record Ready to Die, he was a central figure in the East Coast and increased New York's viability at a time when hip hop was mostly dominated by West Coast artists. Ready to Die is the Grammy Nominated and Billboard Award Winning debut Studio album by East Coast Rapper The Notorious B East Coast hip hop is the original style of Hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA, during the early-1970s Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. West Coast hip hop is a style of Hip hop music that originated in California in the early 1980s ^[2] The following year, Biggie led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.

While recording his second album, Biggie was heavily involved in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud dominating the scene at the time. Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud in the early-mid 1990s between artists and fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes On March 9, 1997, he was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. His double-disc set Life After Death, released fifteen days later, hit #1 on the U. Life After Death (Originally titled "Life After Death'Till Death Do Us Part" is the Grammy -nominated second album by East Coast rapper S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and ^[3] Biggie was noted for his "loose, easy flow",^[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[5] Because of his success and influence on music in general, he has become a cultural icon.

Biography

Early life

Born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Biggie was the only child to Voletta Wallace, a pre-school teacher of Jamaican origin, and George Letore, a welder and small-time Jamaican politician. Bedford-Stuyvesant (pron \ˈstī-və-sənt\ (also known as Bed-Stuy) is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City, USA, borough Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Voletta Wallace ( February 3, 1953) is the mother of the late Rapper and cultural icon The Notorious B Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. ^[6] His father left the family when Biggie was two years old, leaving his mother to work two jobs while raising him. At the Queen of All Saints Middle School, Biggie excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because of his size before he turned ten years old. ^[7] From the age of twelve, he sold drugs, unbeknownst to his mother. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs ^[8]

Biggie transferred out of the private Roman Catholic school that he attended, at his request, to attend the state-funded George Westinghouse Information Technology High School, where Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were also students. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Trevor George Smith Jr, (born May 20 1972 better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American actor and Musician of Jamaican descent According to his mother, he was still a good student, but developed a "smart-ass" attitude. ^[6] At seventeen, Biggie dropped out of high school and became further involved in crime. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation. ^[9] A year later, Biggie was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Crack cocaine or crack is a solid smokable form of Cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that can be made using baking soda ( Sodium bicarbonate He spent nine months in remand prison until he made bail. Jail, or gaol (especially in Canada, Australia and NZ[http //www Traditionally bail is some form of Property deposited or pledged to a Court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding ^[8]

Rapping career

Biggie started rapping from a young age, performing with local groups, the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and ^[2] After being released from imprisonment, he made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to his childhood nickname and to his stature; he stood at 6'3" (1. A demo version or demo of a song (shortened from the word "demonstration" is one recorded for reference rather than for release A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. 90 m) and weighed between 300 and 380 pounds (between 136 and 172 kg) by differing accounts. ^[10] The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent on getting a recording deal, but was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and was heard by the editor of The Source magazine. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Calvin Laburn (born August 17, 19?? better known as Mister Cee or DJ Mister Cee, is an American Hip hop DJ, radio personality Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968 in Brooklyn New York) better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an African-American The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in ^[9]

In March 1992, Biggie featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers and was invited to produce a recording with other unsigned artists, in a move that was reportedly uncommon at the time. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Unsigned Hype is a column in the Hip-hop magazine The Source devoted to identifying promising new rappers who do not have record deals ^[11] The demo tape was heard by Uptown Records A&R and record producer, Sean "Puffy" Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Biggie. Uptown Records was an American Record label, founded by Andre Harrell in the late-1980s Artists and Repertoire ( A&R) is the division of a Record label that is responsible for talent scouting and artist development In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P He was signed to Uptown immediately and made an appearance on label mates, Heavy D & the Boyz' "A Buncha Niggas" (from Blue Funk). Heavy D & the Boyz was an American hip hop group led by Heavy D. ^[2][12]

Biggie (shown alongside Combs) performed the first verse on the remix of "Flava in Ya Ear", which reached #9 in the Hot 100 in 1994. " Flava in Ya Ear " is a single by Craig Mack. The original single was released first & the Remix was followed soon after It marked Biggie's first appearance in a music video by Hype Williams. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970 in Queens New York) is an American music video and Film director of African-American Audio sample (help·info)

Soon after signing his recording contract, Combs was fired from Uptown and started a new label. ^[13] Biggie followed and in mid-1992, signed to Combs' new imprint label, Bad Boy Records. Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean On August 10, 1992, Biggie's long-term partner gave birth to his first child, T'yanna. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) ^[14] Biggie continued selling drugs after the birth to support his daughter financially. Once this was discovered by Combs, he was made to quit. ^[2]

Biggie gained exposure later in the year on a remix to Mary J. Blige's single "Real Love", under the pseudonym The Notorious B. Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper " Real Love " is a 1992 hit single by Hip hop soul singer Mary J I. G. ; the name he would record under for the remainder of his career after finding his original moniker was in use. ^[15] "Real Love" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was followed by a remix of Blige's "What's the 411".

He continued this success, to a lesser extent, on remixes with Neneh Cherry ("Buddy X") and reggae artist Super Cat ("Dolly My Baby", also featuring Combs) in 1993. Neneh Cherry (born Neneh Mariann Karlsson on March 10, 1964 in Stockholm) is a two-time Grammy Award -nominated and MTV Europe Super Cat (born William Maragh in Kingston Jamaica, 1963 is one of the originators of the late 80's and early 90's Dancehall movement In April 1993, his solo track, "Party and Bullshit", appeared on the Who's the Man? soundtrack. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) " Party and Bullshit " is a 1993 debut solo song by artist The Notorious B Who's the Man? is a 1993 Comedy film, directed by Ted Demme. The film stars Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré ^[14] In July 1994, he appeared alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix to label mate Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear", reaching #9 on the Hot 100. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) James Todd Smith (born January 14 1968 better known as LL Cool J, is an American Rapper and actor Trevor George Smith Jr, (born May 20 1972 better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American actor and Musician of Jamaican descent Craig Mack (born May 10, 1971 in The Bronx New York) is an American rapper notable for being the first artist to debut on Puff " Flava in Ya Ear " is a single by Craig Mack. The original single was released first & the Remix was followed soon after In the same year, Biggie collaborated on "Runnin'" and other songs with rapper Tupac Shakur, a New Yorker who he met in Los Angeles. Runnin' is a 1995 song by Rapper Tupac Shakur, featuring The Notorious B Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Ready to Die

Biggie with his daughter, T'yanna, in the music video for the lead single of Ready to Die, "Juicy" (1994)

On August 4, 1994, Biggie married R&B singer Faith Evans ten days after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Ready to Die is the Grammy Nominated and Billboard Award Winning debut Studio album by East Coast Rapper The Notorious B "Juicy" is a song by hip hop artist The Notorious BIG Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean ^[16][14] Four days later, Biggie had his first pop chart success as a solo artist with double A-side, "Juicy/Unbelievable", which reached #27 as the lead single to his debut album. "Juicy" is a song by hip hop artist The Notorious BIG

Ready to Die was released on September 14, 1994, and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 chart,^[17] eventually being certified four times Platinum. Ready to Die is the Grammy Nominated and Billboard Award Winning debut Studio album by East Coast Rapper The Notorious B Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and ^[18] The album, released at a time when West Coast hip hop was prominent in the U. West Coast hip hop is a style of Hip hop music that originated in California in the early 1980s S. charts, according to Rolling Stone "almost single-handedly. . . shifted the focus back to East Coast rap". ^[19] It gained strong reviews on release and has received much praise in retrospect. ^[19][20] In addition to "Juicy", the record produced two hit singles; the Platinum-selling "Big Poppa", which reached #1 on the U. "Big Poppa" is the Grammy Nominated and Billboards Award Winning second single off of The Notorious B S. rap chart,^[4] and "One More Chance" featuring Faith Evans, a loosely related remix of an album track and its best selling single. " One More Chance / Stay With Me Remix " is a song by The Notorious B

Junior M. A. F. I. A. and coastal feud

In August 1995, Biggie's protegé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. ("Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes"), consisting of his friends from childhood released their debut album entitled Conspiracy. Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop Conspiracy is the Debut album of East Coast hip hop group Junior M The group included rappers such as Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, who went on to have solo careers. Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop ^[21] The record went Gold and its singles, "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money" both featuring Biggie, went Gold and Platinum. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and Biggie continued to work with R&B artists, collaborating with Bad Boy groups 112 (on "Only You") and Total (on "Can't You See"), with both reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean For the British experimental musician see Matthew Bower. Total is an American R&B Girl group and one of the

Early image of Biggie (left) and Tupac Shakur. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper Photograph is taken from the documentary film Biggie & Tupac, directed by Nick Broomfield

By the end of the year, Biggie was the top-selling male solo artist and rapper on the U. Biggie & Tupac is a 2002 feature-length Documentary film about Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, made by Nick Broomfield. Nicholas Broomfield (born 30 January 1948 in London) is an English documentary filmmaker S. pop and R&B charts. ^[2] In July 1995, he appeared on the cover of The Source with the caption "The King of New York Takes Over". The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in At the Source Awards, he was named Best New Artist (Solo), Lyricist of the Year, Live Performer of the Year, and his debut Album of the Year. ^[22] At the Billboard Awards, he was Rap Artist of the Year. The Billboard Music Awards, sponsored by Billboard magazine and held annually in December is one of several annual United States music awards shows (among ^[9]

In his year of success, Biggie became involved in a quarrel between the East and West Coast hip-hop scenes with Shakur, his former associate. The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud in the early-mid 1990s between artists and fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes In an interview with Vibe magazine in April 1995, while serving time in Clinton Correctional Facility, Shakur accused Uptown Records' founder Andre Harrell, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and Biggie of having prior awareness of a robbery that resulted in him being shot repeatedly and losing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry on the night of November 30, 1994. Vibe is a Magazine, launched 1993 by founder Quincy Jones and funded by Time Inc Clinton Correctional Facility is a maximum-security New York state Prison located in the Adirondack Village of Dannemora. Uptown Records was an American Record label, founded by Andre Harrell in the late-1980s Andre Harrell (born 1962 in Harlem, New York) is an American Entrepreneur and founder of the now defunct Record label, Uptown Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Robbery is the Crime of seizing Property through Violence or Intimidation. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Though Biggie and his entourage were in the same Manhattan-based recording studio at the time of the occurrence, they denied the accusation. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties (sound ^[23]

It just happened to be a coincidence that he was in the studio. He just, he couldn't really say who really had something to do with it at the time. So he just kinda' leaned the blame on me. ^[24]

Following release from prison, Shakur signed to L.A.'s Death Row Records on October 15, 1995. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Death Row Records was a Record label that was founded in 1991 by Dr Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Bad Boy Records and Death Row, now business rivals, became involved in an intense quarrel. ^[25]

Arrests, a death and a birth

Biggie started recording his second record album in September 1995. The album, recorded in New York, Trinidad and Los Angeles, was interrupted during its 18 months of creation by injury, legal wranglings and the highly publicized hip hop dispute in which he was involved. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Trinidad ( Spanish: " Trinity " is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud in the early-mid 1990s between artists and fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes ^[26]

On March 23, 1996, Biggie was arrested outside a Manhattan nightclub for chasing and threatening to kill two autograph seekers, smashing the windows of their taxicab and then pulling one of the fans out and punching them. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York ^[9] He pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and was sentenced to 100 hours community service. Harassment refers to a wide spectrum of offensive behaviour The term commonly refers to behaviour intended to disturb or upset and when the term is used in a legal sense it refers In mid-1996, he was arrested at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, for drug and weapons possession charges. Teaneck (ˈtiːnɛk is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and is a Suburb in the New York metropolitan area. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. ^[9]

In June 1996, Tupac Shakur released "Hit 'Em Up"; a diss song in which he explicitly claimed to have had coitus with Biggie's, at-the-time estranged, wife Faith Evans, and that Biggie copied his style and image. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper " Hit 'Em Up " is a diss song by Tupac Shakur, featuring his rap group the Outlawz. Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer Biggie acknowledged the former, referring to it in regards to his wife's pregnancy on Jay-Z's "Brooklyn's Finest" ("If Fay' had twins, she'd probably have two-Pac's/Get it? . Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella . Tu-pac's") but did not directly respond to the record, stating in a 1997 radio interview it is "not [his] style" to respond. ^[24]

Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 7, 1996. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Shakur would die of complications as a result of gunshot wounds six days later on September 13, 1996. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Rumors of Biggie's involvement with Shakur's murder were reported almost immediately, and notably in a two-part article by Chuck Philips in the Los Angeles Times in September 2002. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed ^[27] Biggie denied the allegation claiming he was in a New York recording studio at the time. ^[23] Following his death, an anti-violence hip hop summit was held; Biggie did not attend and received criticism. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. ^[2]

On October 29, 1996, Faith Evans gave birth to Biggie's first son, Christopher "CJ" Wallace, Jr. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) ^[14] The following month Junior M. A. F. I. A. member Lil' Kim released her debut album, Hard Core, under Biggie's direction while the two were involved in an apparent love affair. Hard Core is the Debut album of Rapper Lil' Kim, released November 12, 1996 on the Atlantic subsidiary ^[2]

Life After Death

During the recording sessions for his second record, tentatively named "Life After Death. . . 'Til Death Do Us Part", Biggie was involved in a car crash that shattered his left leg and temporarily confined him to a wheelchair. ^[2] The injury forced him to use a cane for the rest of his life. ^[23]

In January 1997, Biggie was ordered to pay US$41,000 in damages following an incident involving a friend of a concert promoter who claimed to have been beaten and robbed by Biggie and his entourage following a dispute in May 1995. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[28] He faced criminal assault charges for the incident which remain unresolved, but all robbery charges were dropped. ^[9] Following the events of the previous year, Biggie spoke of a desire to focus on his "peace of mind". "My mom. . . my son. . . my daughter. . . my family are what matters to me now". ^[29]

Death

March 1997 shooting

Biggie traveled to California in March 1997 to promote his upcoming album and record a music video for its lead single, "Hypnotize". California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics " Hypnotize " is the Grammy-nominated hip-hop song recorded by Brooklyn Rapper The Notorious B On March 5, 1997 Biggie gave a radio interview with The Dog House on KYLD. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Dog House was an American Radio Talk show co-hosted by JV (Jeff Vandergrift and Elvis (Dan Lay KYLD (949 FM, "WiLD 949" is a commercial Radio station in San Francisco California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. In the interview he stated that he had hired security since he feared for his safety, but this was because he was a celebrity figure, not specifically a rapper. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and ^[30] Life After Death was scheduled for release on March 25, 1997. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar On March 8, 1997, he presented an award to Toni Braxton at the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards in Los Angeles and was booed by some of the audience. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7 1967 is an American Singer-songwriter, Contralto vocalist and actress. The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show aired in national Television syndication that honors the best in Black Music and Entertainment Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West ^[23] After the ceremony, Biggie attended an after party hosted by Vibe magazine and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Vibe is a Magazine, launched 1993 by founder Quincy Jones and funded by Time Inc Qwest Records is the Record label started by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. ^[23] Other guests included Faith Evans, Sean "Puffy" Combs and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs. Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P The Bloods is one of the street Gangs originally founded in Los Angeles The Crips are a primarily but not exclusively African American gang founded in Los Angeles California in 1969 mainly by 16-year-old Raymond Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. ^[7]

On March 9, 1997, at around 12:30 a. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar m. , Biggie left with his entourage in two GMC Suburbans to return to his hotel after an announcement was made that the party would finish early. Biggie traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates, Damion "D-Rock" Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease and driver, Gregory "G-Money" Young. Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop Combs traveled in the other vehicle with three bodyguards. A bodyguard (or "close protection officer" is a type of Security guard or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous wealthy or politically The two trucks were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy's director of security. See also Chevrolet Blazer (disambiguation The Chevrolet Blazer (4WD model T-10 and the similar GMC S-15 Jimmy Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean ^[7]

By 12:45 a. m. the streets were crowded with people leaving the event. Biggie's truck stopped at a red light 50 yards (46 m) from the museum. While waiting for the light to change, a white Toyota Land Cruiser made a U-turn and cut in-between Biggie's vehicle and the Chevrolet Blazer behind. The Toyota Land Cruiser is a series of Four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. A U-turn in Driving refers to performing a 180 degree rotation in order to reverse direction of travel Simultaneously, a black Chevrolet Impala pulled up alongside Biggie's truck. The Chevrolet Impala was through 1996 a Full-sized Automobile built by General Motors for their Chevrolet division The driver of the Impala (an African-American male neatly dressed in a blue suit and bow tie) rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired numerous rounds into the GMC Suburban; four bullets hit Biggie in the chest. ^[7] Biggie was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by his entourage but was pronounced dead at 1:15 a. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a Hospital located in Los Angeles California. m.

Composite sketch of the murderer drawn a day after the slaying. A facial composites is a graphical presentation of an eyewitness's memory of a face as recorded by a composite artist A reportedly less accurate sketch was released by the LAPD to the media two weeks later. ^[31]

Murder case

Biggie's murder remains unsolved and there are a plethora of theories as to the identities and motives of the murderers. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries In the month of his death, The Los Angeles Times reported that the Southside Compton Crips may have killed Biggie in retaliation for Bad Boy not paying them money owed for security services provided in the West Coast. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed The Crips are a primarily but not exclusively African American gang founded in Los Angeles California in 1969 mainly by 16-year-old Raymond ^[32] In the same month, MTV News published that witnesses had told the Associated Press they were afraid to speak to law enforcement. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force ^[10]

In 2002, Randall Sullivan released LAbyrinth, a book compiling information regarding the murders of Biggie and Tupac Shakur based on evidence provided by retired LAPD detective, Russell Poole. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper Russell Poole is a former LAPD detective most noted ^[7][33] Sullivan accused Marion "Suge" Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records and an alleged Bloods affiliate, of conspiring with David Mack, an LAPD officer and alleged Death Row security employee, to kill Biggie and make Shakur and his deaths appear the result of a fictitious bi-coastal rap rivalry. Marion Hugh Knight Jr, better known as Suge Knight, is an Entrepreneur in the Hip hop music industry and co-founder and CEO of Death Death Row Records was a Record label that was founded in 1991 by Dr The Bloods is one of the street Gangs originally founded in Los Angeles David A Mack (born 1960 is one of the central figures in the LAPD Rampart police corruption scandal. ^[34][35] Sullivan believed that one of Mack's associates, Amir Muhammad (also known as Harry Billups), was the hitman based on evidence provided by an informant, which has since been discredited, and due to his close resemblance to the facial composite. A facial composites is a graphical presentation of an eyewitness's memory of a face as recorded by a composite artist ^[35][34] Filmmaker Nick Broomfield released an investigative documentary, Biggie & Tupac, based mainly on the evidence used in the book. Nicholas Broomfield (born 30 January 1948 in London) is an English documentary filmmaker Biggie & Tupac is a 2002 feature-length Documentary film about Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, made by Nick Broomfield. ^[33]

An article published in Rolling Stone by Sullivan in December 2005, accused the LAPD of not fully investigating links with Death Row Records based on evidence from Poole. Sullivan claimed that Sean Combs "failed to fully cooperate with the investigation" and according to Poole, encouraged Bad Boy staff to do the same. Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P ^[7] The accuracy of the article was later refuted in a letter by the Assistant Managing Editor of the LA Times accusing Sullivan of using "shoddy tactics". Sullivan, in response, quoted the lead attorney of the Wallace estate calling the newspaper "a co-conspirator in the cover-up". ^[36]

Lawsuits

In March 2005, the relatives of Biggie filed a wrongful death claim against the LAPD based on the evidence championed by Russell Poole. Russell Poole is a former LAPD detective most noted ^[35] They claimed the LAPD had sufficient evidence to arrest the assailant, but failed to utilize it. David Mack and Amir Muhammad (a. David A Mack (born 1960 is one of the central figures in the LAPD Rampart police corruption scandal. k. a. Harry Billups) were originally named as defendants in the civil suit, but were dropped shortly before the trial began after the LAPD and FBI dismissed them as suspects. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy ^[35] In July 2005, the case was declared a mistrial after the judge showed concern that the police were withholding evidence. A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force ^[37] An attempt to expand the wrongful death lawsuit to include new claims failed in August 2006. ^[35] The criminal investigation was re-opened in July 2006. ^[38][39]

On April 16, 2007, relatives of Biggie filed a second wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, California. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The suit also named two LAPD officers in the center of the LAPD Rampart Division corruption probe, Rafael Perez and Nino Durden. See also Los Angeles Police Department The Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department serves communities to the west and northwest of Downtown Rafael Antonio Pérez is the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. According to the claim, Perez, an alleged affiliate of Death Row Records, admitted to LAPD officials that he and Mack (who was not named in the lawsuit) "conspired to murder, and participated in the murder of Christopher Wallace". Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries The Wallace family believe the LAPD "consciously concealed Rafael Perez's involvement in the murder of . . . Wallace". ^[40]

On January 19, 2007, Tyruss Himes (better known as Big Syke), a former friend of Tupac Shakur who was implicated in the murder by television channel KTTV and XXL magazine in 2005, had his defamation lawsuit regarding the accusations thrown out of court. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Tyruss "Big Syke" Himes (born in Inglewood California) is an American Rapper who was a friend of Tupac Shakur. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper KTTV, channel 11 is an Owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation -owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles California XXL (pronounced, double-X-L is a hip-hop magazine from Harris Publications. ^[41]

Posthumous career

Fifteen days after his death, Biggie's double-disc second album was released as planned with the shortened title of Life After Death and hit #1 on the Billboard 200 charts, after making a premature appearance at #176 due to street-date violations. Life After Death (Originally titled "Life After Death'Till Death Do Us Part" is the Grammy -nominated second album by East Coast rapper The record album featured a much wider range of guests and producers than its predecessor. ^[42] It gained strong reviews and in 2000 was certified Diamond; the highest RIAA certification awarded to a solo hip hop album. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos.

Its lead single, "Hypnotize", was the last music video recording in which Biggie would partake. " Hypnotize " is the Grammy-nominated hip-hop song recorded by Brooklyn Rapper The Notorious B A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics His biggest chart success was with its follow-up "Mo Money Mo Problems", featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (under the rap alias "Puff Daddy") and Mase. " Mo Money Mo Problems " is the Grammy Nominated second single & tenth track on the first disc of the Notorious B Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P This article is about the rapper For the basketball player nicknamed 'Mase' see Anthony Mason. The video, directed by Hype Williams, is noted for having started the "Shiny Suit" era in hip hop music. Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970 in Queens New York) is an American music video and Film director of African-American East Coast hip hop is the original style of Hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA, during the early-1970s Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with ^[43] Both singles reached #1 in the Hot 100, making Biggie the first artist to achieve this feat posthumously. ^[2] The third single, "Sky's The Limit", featuring 112, was noted for its use of children in the music video, directed by Spike Jonze, who were used to portray Biggie and his contemporaries, including Combs, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes. " Sky's the Limit " is the third single from The Notorious B Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel October 22, 1969) is an American director of Music videos and commercials and an Academy Trevor George Smith Jr, (born May 20 1972 better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American actor and Musician of Jamaican descent Biggie was named Artist of the Year and "Hypnotize" Single of the Year by Spin magazine in December 1997. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr ^[44]

In mid-1997, Combs released his debut album, No Way Out, which featured Biggie on five songs, notably on the third single "Victory". No Way Out is a 1997 debut Album by Puff Daddy and the Family. Victory (from Latin Victoria) is a term originally in applied to Warfare, given to success achieved in personal combat, after military operations The most prominent single from the record album was "I'll Be Missing You", featuring Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112, which was dedicated to Biggie's memory. " I'll Be Missing You " is a Grammy Award -winning song and hit single recorded by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, in memory Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Life After Death and its first two singles received nominations in the rap category. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The album award was won by Combs' No Way Out and "I'll Be Missing You" gained the award in the category of "Mo Money Mo Problems". ^[45]

In December 1999, Bad Boy Records released Born Again. Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an East Coast Hip-Hop / R&B Record label founded by producer/rapper Sean Born Again is a posthumous album by The Notorious BIG. It was released on December 7, 1999. The record consisted of previously unreleased material mixed with guest appearances including many artists Biggie had never collaborated with in his lifetime. It gained some positive reviews but received criticism for its unlikely pairings, The Source describing it as "compiling some of the most awkward collaborations of his career". ^[46] In 2005, Duets: The Final Chapter continued the pattern and was criticized for the lack of significant Biggie vocals on some of its songs. Duets The Final Chapter is the third posthumous album by The Notorious B ^[47][48] Its lead single "Nasty Girl" became Biggie's first UK #1. " Nasty Girl " is the title of a song by Notorious BI Combs and Voletta Wallace have stated the album will be the last release primarily featuring new material. Voletta Wallace ( February 3, 1953) is the mother of the late Rapper and cultural icon The Notorious B ^[49]

Legacy

Graffiti art of Biggie in Queens, New York City, New York (2006)

Biggie is celebrated as one of the greatest rap artists and is described by All Music Guide as "the savior of East Coast hip-hop". Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous East Coast hip hop is the original style of Hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA, during the early-1970s ^[2] In 2001, The Source named Biggie the greatest rapper of all time. ^[50] In 2003, when XXL magazine asked several hip hop artists to list their five favorite MCs, Biggie's name appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else. XXL (pronounced, double-X-L is a hip-hop magazine from Harris Publications. In 2006, he was ranked at #3 in MTV's The Greatest MC's of All Time. ^[5]

Since his death, Biggie's lyrics have been sampled and quoted by a variety of hip hop, R&B and pop artists including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Nas, Fat Joe, Nelly, Pharrell Williams, Lil' Wayne, Ludacris, Big Pun, Beanie Sigel, Juelz Santana, Usher, Ashanti, Alicia Keys and Nelly Furtado. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper Joseph Cartagena, better known by his Stage name Fat Joe, is an American Rapper of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent and Cornell Haynes Jr (born November 2 1974 Highly successful Nelly has sold over 20 million records in the United States Dwayne Michael Carter Jr (born September 27 1982 better known by his Stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Rapper. Christopher Lee Rios ( November 9, 1971 - February 7, 2000) better known as Big Punisher or Big Pun, was a Puerto Dwight Grant (born on March 6, 1974) also known as Beanie Sigel, is an American Rapper from Philadelphia Pennsylvania LaRon Louis James (born on February 18 1983 better known by his Stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer and occasional actor Usher Raymond IV (born October 14 1978 known simply by his first name Usher, is an American R&B and pop Singer - Songwriter Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13 1980 is an American Singer-songwriter, Record producer, actress, Dancer and Alicia J Augello-Cook (born January 25 1981 professionally known as Alicia Keys, is an American R&B, soul, and Neo soul Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2 1978 is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, record producer actor and instrumentalist, who also holds Portuguese On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Sean Combs (then using the rap alias "P. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top Music videos of the year Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Diddy") and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Biggie: an orchestra played while the vocals from "Juicy" and "Warning" played on the arena speakers. Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of "Juicy" is a song by hip hop artist The Notorious BIG "Warning" is a popular song and B-side from the Notorious B ^[51] In September 2005, VH1 had its second annual "Hip Hop Honors", with a tribute to Biggie headlining the show. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television ^[52]

Before his death, Biggie founded a hip hop supergroup called The Commission, which consisted of Jay-Z, Lil' Cease, Combs, Charli Baltimore and himself. SuperGroup is a Reality show on the channel VH1. The show puts together five Heavy metal musicians packed into a large mansion that must play a show after The Commission was an East Coast hip-hop supergroup that existed in the mid 1990s Junior MAFIA ( Junior M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes was an American hip hop Tiffany Lane (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) better know by her Stage name Charli Baltimore, is a female rapper. The Commission was mentioned by Biggie in the lyrics of "What's Beef" on Life After Death and "Victory" from No Way Out but never completed an album. Life After Death (Originally titled "Life After Death'Till Death Do Us Part" is the Grammy -nominated second album by East Coast rapper Victory (from Latin Victoria) is a term originally in applied to Warfare, given to success achieved in personal combat, after military operations No Way Out is a 1997 debut Album by Puff Daddy and the Family. A song on Duets: The Final Chapter titled "Whatchu Want (The Commission)" featuring Jay-Z was based on the group.

Biggie had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to produce plus-sized clothing but fell dormant after he died. In 2004, his managers, Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, launched the clothing line, with help from Jay-Z, selling T-shirts with images of Biggie on them. A portion of the proceeds go to the Christopher Wallace Foundation and to Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. ^[53] In 2005, Voletta Wallace hired branding and licensing agency Wicked Cow Entertainment to guide the Estate's licensing efforts. Voletta Wallace ( February 3, 1953) is the mother of the late Rapper and cultural icon The Notorious B ^[54] Biggie-branded products on the market include action figures, blankets, and cell phone content. ^[55]

The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation holds an annual black-tie dinner ("B. I. G. Night Out") to raise funds for children's school equipment and supplies and to honor the memory of the late rapper. For this particular event, because it is a children's schools' charity, "B. I. G. " is also said to stand for "Books Instead of Guns". ^[56]

Style

Biggie mostly rapped on his songs in a deep tone described by Rolling Stone as a "thick, jaunty grumble",^[57] which went deeper on Life After Death. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and ^[58] He was often accompanied on songs with ad libs from Sean "Puffy" Combs. Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P

All Music Guide describe Biggie as having "a loose, easy flow" with "a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession". allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ^[4] Time magazine wrote Biggie rapped with an ability to "make multi-syllabic rhymes sound. . . smooth",^[20] while Krims describes Biggie's rhythmic style as "effusive". In chemistry effusion is the process where individual molecules flow through a hole without collisions between molecules ^[59] Before starting a verse, Biggie sometimes used onomatopoeic vocables to "warm up" (for example "uhhh" at the beginning of "Hypnotize" and "Big Poppa"). Onomatopoeia (also spelled onomatopœia, from Greek: ονοματοποιΐα is a Word or a grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing In speech, a vocable is an utterance term or Word that is capable of being spoken and recognized. ^[60]

Biggie would occasionally vary from his usual style. On "Playa Hater" from his second album, he sang in a slow-falsetto. The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and ^[61] On his collaboration with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, "Notorious Thugs", he modified his style to match the rapid rhyme flow of the group. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip hop group from the Glenville section of Cleveland Ohio. "Notorious Thugs" is a song off The Notorious BIG 's second album Life After Death.

Themes and lyrical content

Biggie's lyrical topics and themes included mafioso tales ("Niggas Bleed"), his drug dealing past ("10 Crack Commandments"), materialistic bragging ("Hypnotize"), as well as humor ("Just Playing (Dreams)"),^[62] and romance ("Me & My Bitch"). For the Ice T album see Gangsta Rap (album. Gangsta rap is a term originated by the mainstream media to describe a certain subgenre " Hypnotize " is the Grammy-nominated hip-hop song recorded by Brooklyn Rapper The Notorious B A love song is about falling in love and the happiness it brings ^[62] Rolling Stone named Biggie in 2004 as "one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing credible love songs". ^[58]

According to Touré of the New York Times in 1994, Biggie's lyrics "[mixed] autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty". Touré (born March 20, 1971) is an American Novelist, Music journalist, Cultural critic, and television personality based In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes ^[8] Marriott of the NY Times (in 1997) believed his lyrics were not strictly autobiographical and wrote he "had a knack for exaggeration that increased sales". ^[9] Biggie described his debut as "a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in my life involving bitches and niggaz. . . from the beginning to the end". ^[63]

Ready to Die is described by Rolling Stone as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being "full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop". Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[58] All Music Guide write of "a sense of doom" in some of his songs and the NY Times note some being "laced with paranoia";^[4][64] Biggie described himself as feeling "broke and depressed" when he made his debut. ^[64] The final song on the album, "Suicidal Thoughts", featured Biggie contemplating suicide and concluded with him committing the act. "Suicidal Thoughts" is the last track on The Notorious B

On Life After Death, Biggie's lyrics went "deeper". Life After Death (Originally titled "Life After Death'Till Death Do Us Part" is the Grammy -nominated second album by East Coast rapper ^[58] Krims explains how upbeat, dance-oriented tracks (which featured less heavily on his debut) alternate with "reality rap" songs on the record and suggests that he was "going pimp" through some of the lyrical topics of the former. Hardcore hip hop is a form of Hip hop music that developed in the late 1980s ^[59] XXL magazine wrote that Biggie "revamped his image" through the portrayal of himself between the albums, going from "midlevel hustler" on his debut to "drug lord". XXL (pronounced, double-X-L is a hip-hop magazine from Harris Publications. A drug lord or drug baron is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the Illegal drugs trade. ^[65]

All Music Guide believe Ready to Die's success is "mostly due to Biggie's skill as a storyteller";^[4] In 1994, Rolling Stone described Biggie's ability in this technique as painting "a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene". ^[19] On Life After Death Biggie notably demonstrated this skill on "I Got a Story to Tell" telling a story as a rap for the first half of the song and then as a story "for his boys" in conversation form. ^[61]

Future biopic

Notorious is the working title for a 2009 biographical film about rapper Notorious B. A biographical motion picture &mdash often shortened to biopic &mdash is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people I. G. . Originally Antoine Fuqua was set to direct,^[66] but now director George Tillman, Jr. is set to helm the project. Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an African-American Film director. George Tillman Jr (born in Milwaukee Wisconsin) is an American Film director and producer. ^[67] The film is being distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Fox Searchlight Pictures is the specialty film division of 20th Century Fox, established in 1994 Producers on Notorious include Sean "Diddy" Combs, Voletta Wallace and Biggie's former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts. Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Voletta Wallace ( February 3, 1953) is the mother of the late Rapper and cultural icon The Notorious B ^[67]

In early October of 2007 open casting calls for the role of The Notorious B. I. G. began. ^[68] Actors, rappers and unknowns all tried out. Rapper Beanie Sigel auditioned^[69] for the role but was not picked. Dwight Grant (born on March 6, 1974) also known as Beanie Sigel, is an American Rapper from Philadelphia Pennsylvania Sean Kingston claimed that he would play the role of Biggie but producers have denied he would be in the film. Kisean Anderson (born February 3, 1990) better known by his Stage name Sean Kingston, is a Jamaican Reggae singer ^[70] The cast has recently been announced with rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard cast as Biggie. ^[71] Other cast members include Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, Anwan Glover as Snoop Doggy Dogg, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16 1958 is an Emmy - and Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning African- American Actress Voletta Wallace ( February 3, 1953) is the mother of the late Rapper and cultural icon The Notorious B Derek Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American Actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance in the 2002 Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Ralph Anwan Glover (also known as Big G) is an American actor and musician Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (born October 20 1971 His mother nicknamed him " Snoopy " as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of Antonique Smith (born August 11) is an American Singer and Actress born and raised in East Orange New Jersey. Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer Anthony Mackie (born September 23, 1979) is an American actor Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper ^[72]

Discography

Main article: The Notorious B.I.G. discography

• 1994: Ready to Die
• 1997: Life After Death
• 1999: Born Again
• 2005: Duets: The Final Chapter
• 2007: Greatest Hits

References

Further reading

• Coker, Cheo Hodari (2004). Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B. I. G. . New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0609808354.  
• Wallace, Voletta; McKenzie, Tremell and Evans, Faith (foreword) (2005). Biggie: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B. I. G. . Atria. ISBN 0743470206.  

External links

• Atlantic Records: The Notorious B.I.G. Official website
• Duets: The Final Chapter Official website
• BlackPlanet Page Official Page
• NotoriousOnline Fan site
• Biggie Smalls Freestyle film clip from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, 1989
• Rare footage of Notorious B. I. G. performing "Warning," released posthumously
• Open auditions for Notorious film at BBC News