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Life and career
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1972–1991: Early life

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1991–1994: Early career and first child

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1994: Ready to Die and marriage to Faith Evans

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 1995: Collaboration with Michael Jackson, Junior M.A.F.I.A., success and coastal
feud

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1996: More arrests, accusations regarding Shakur's death, car accident and second
child

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1997: Life After Death

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Death

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Biggie" and "Biggy" redirect here. For other uses, see Biggie (disambiguation) and Biggy
(disambiguation).

For the song, see Notorious B.I.G. (song).

The Notorious B.I.G.

 Wallace in 1997

Born Christopher George Latore Wallace

May 21, 1972

Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.

Died March 9, 1997 (aged 24)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Cause of death Drive-by homicide (gunshot wound)

 Biggie Smalls
Other names
 Biggie

 Frank White

 Big

 Big Poppa

 MC CWest

Occupations  Rapper

 songwriter

 record producer

Years active 1992–1997

Height 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)

Faith Evans
Spouse
 (m. 1994; sep. 1996)

[1]

Partner Charli Baltimore (1995–1997)[a]

Children 2, including C. J.

Awards Full list

Musical career

Genres  Hip hop

 gangsta rap

 East Coast hip hop

Labels  Atlantic

 Arista

 Bad Boy

 Uptown

Formerly of  The Commission

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by
his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie,[2] was an
American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta rap, he is cited
in various media lists as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known
for his distinctive laid-back lyrical delivery, offsetting the lyrics' often grim content. His
music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of
debauchery and celebration.[3]
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Wallace signed to Sean "Puffy" Combs'
label Bad Boy Records as it launched in 1993, and gained exposure through features
on several other artists' singles that year. His debut album Ready to Die (1994) was met
with widespread critical acclaim, and included his signature songs "Juicy" and "Big
Poppa". The album made him the central figure in East Coast hip hop, and restored
New York's visibility at a time when the West Coast hip hop scene was dominating hip
hop music.[4] Wallace was awarded the 1995 Billboard Music Awards' Rapper of the
Year.[5] The following year, he led his protégé group Junior M.A.F.I.A., a team of himself
and longtime friends, including Lil' Kim, to chart success.
During 1996, while recording his second album, Wallace became ensnarled in the
escalating East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud. Following Tupac Shakur's murder in
a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996, speculations of involvement in
Shakur's murder by criminal elements orbiting the Bad Boy circle circulated as a result
of Wallace's public feud with Shakur. On March 9, 1997, six months after Shakur's
murder, Wallace was murdered by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting while
visiting Los Angeles. Wallace's second album Life After Death, a double album, was
released two weeks later. It reached number one on the Billboard 200, and eventually
achieved a diamond certification in the United States.[6]
With two more posthumous albums released, Wallace has certified sales of over
28 million copies in the United States,[7] including 21 million albums.[8] Rolling Stone has
called him the "greatest rapper that ever lived", [9] and Billboard named him the greatest
rapper of all time.[10] The Source magazine named him the greatest rapper of all time in
its 150th issue. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of
All Time, calling him possibly "the most skillful ever on the mic". [11] In 2020, he was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Life and career

1972–1991: Early life
Christopher George Latore Wallace was born at St. Mary's Hospital in the New York
City borough of Brooklyn on May 21, 1972, the only child of Jamaican immigrant
parents. His mother, Voletta Wallace, was a preschool teacher, while his father, Selwyn
George Latore, was a welder and politician. [12][13] His father left the family when Wallace
was two years old, and his mother worked two jobs while raising him. Wallace grew up
at 226 St. James Place in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill,[14] near the border with Bedford-
Stuyvesant.[12][15] Raised Catholic, Wallace excelled at Queen of All Saints Middle School,
winning several awards as an English student. He attended St Peter Claver Church in
the borough.[16] He was nicknamed "Big" because he was overweight by the age of 10.
[17]
 Wallace claimed to have begun dealing drugs at about age 12. His mother, often at
work, first learned of this during his adulthood. [18]
He began rapping as a teenager, entertaining people on the streets, and performed with
local groups, the Old Gold Brothers as well as the Techniques. [19] His earliest stage
name was MC CWest.[20] At his request, Wallace transferred from Bishop Loughlin
Memorial High School in Fort Greene to George Westinghouse Career and Technical
Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which future rappers Jay-Z and Busta
Rhymes were also attending. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student
but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school. [13] At age 17 in 1989, Wallace
dropped out of high school and became more involved in crime. That same year 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. [21] A year later,
Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months
in jail before making bail.[18]
1991–1994: Early career and first child
After release from jail, Wallace made a demo tape, Microphone Murderer, while calling
himself Biggie Smalls, alluding both to Calvin Lockhart's character in the 1975 film Let's
Do It Again and to his own stature and obesity, 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 300 to 380
pounds (140 to 170 kg).[22] Although Wallace reportedly lacked real ambition for the tape,
local DJ Mister Cee, of Big Daddy Kane and Juice Crew association, discovered and
promoted it, thus it was heard by The Source rap magazine's editor in 1992.[21]
In March, The Source column "Unsigned Hype", dedicated to airing promising rappers,
featured Wallace.[23] He then spun the attention into a recording.[23] Upon hearing the
demo tape, Sean "Puffy" Combs, still with the A&R department of Uptown Records,
arranged to meet Wallace. Promptly signed to Uptown, Wallace appeared on
labelmates Heavy D & the Boyz's 1993 song "A Buncha Niggas".[19][24] Mid-year, or a year
after Wallace's signing, Uptown fired Combs, who, a week later, launched Bad Boy
Records,[25] instantly Wallace's new label.[26]
On August 8, 1993, Jan Jackson, Wallace's long-time girlfriend, gave birth to his first
child, T'yanna,[26] although the couple had parted by then. [27] Himself a high-school
dropout, Wallace promised his daughter "everything she wanted", reasoning that if only
he had that in childhood, he would have graduated at the top of his class. [28] Wallace
continued dealing drugs, but Combs discovered this, and obliged him to stop. [19] Later
that year, Wallace gained exposure on a remix of Mary J. Blige's single "Real Love".
Having found his moniker Biggie Smalls already claimed, he took a new one, holding for
good, The Notorious B.I.G.[29]
Around this time, Wallace became friends with fellow rapper Tupac Shakur. Lil'
Cease recalled the pair as close, often traveling together whenever they were not
working. According to him, Wallace was a frequent guest at Shakur's home and they
spent time together when Shakur was in California or Washington, D.C. [30] Yukmouth, an
Oakland emcee, claimed that Wallace's style was inspired by Shakur. [31]
The "Real Love" remix single was followed by another remix of a Mary J. Blige song,
"What's the 411?" Wallace's successes continued, if to a lesser extent, on remixes
of Neneh Cherry's song "Buddy X" and of reggae artist Super Cat's song "Dolly My
Baby", also featuring Combs, all in 1993. In April, Wallace's solo track "Party and
Bullshit" was released on the Who's the Man? soundtrack.[32] In July 1994, he appeared
alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix of his own labelmate Craig Mack's
"Flava in Ya Ear", the remix reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[33]
1994: Ready to Die and marriage to Faith Evans
On August 4, 1994, Wallace married R&B singer Faith Evans, whom he had met eight
days prior at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[34] Five days later, Wallace had his first pop chart
success as a solo artist with double A-side, "Juicy / Unbelievable", which reached No.
27 as the lead single to his debut album. [35]
Ready to Die was released on September 13, 1994. It reached No. 13 on
the Billboard 200 chart[36] and was eventually certified four times platinum.[37] The album
shifted attention back to East Coast hip hop at a time when West Coast hip
hop dominated US charts.[38] It gained strong reviews and has received much praise in
retrospect.[38][39] In addition to "Juicy", the record produced two hit singles: the platinum-
selling "Big Poppa", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. rap chart, [40] and "One More
Chance", which sold 1.1 million copies in 1995. [41][42] Busta Rhymes claimed to have seen
Wallace giving out free copies of Ready to Die from his home, which Rhymes reasoned
as "his way of marketing himself".[43]
Wallace also befriended basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal said they were
introduced during a listening session for "Gimme the Loot"; Wallace mentioned him in
the lyrics and thereby attracted O'Neal to his music. O'Neal requested a collaboration
with Wallace, which resulted in the song "You Can't Stop the Reign". According to
Combs, Wallace would not collaborate with "anybody he didn't really respect" and that
Wallace paid O'Neal his respect by "shouting him out". [44] Wallace later met with O'Neal
on Sunset Boulevard in 1997.[45] In 2015, Daz Dillinger, a frequent Shakur collaborator,
said that he and Wallace were "cool", with Wallace traveling to meet him to
smoke cannabis and record two songs.[46]
1995: Collaboration with Michael Jackson, Junior M.A.F.I.A.,
success and coastal feud
Wallace worked with pop singer Michael Jackson on the song "This Time Around",
featured on Jackson's 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.[47] Lil'
Cease later claimed that while Wallace met Jackson, he was forced to stay behind, with
Wallace citing that he did not "trust Michael with kids" following the 1993 child sexual
abuse allegations against Jackson.[48] Engineer John Van Nest and producer Dallas
Austin recalled the sessions differently, saying that Wallace was eager to meet Jackson
and nearly burst into tears upon doing so. [49]
In the summer, Wallace met Charli Baltimore and they became involved in a romantic
relationship.[50] Several months into their relationship, she left him a voicemail of a rap
verse that she had written and he began encouraging her to pursue a career in rap
music.[51]
Wallace was booked to perform in Sacramento. When his group arrived at the venue
there weren't many people there, and when they started performing they were getting
coins tossed at them. When they left they were held at gunpoint in the venue's parking
lot, allegedly set up by E-40's goons, who were angry about an interview Wallace did
with a Canadian magazine. When asked to rank a handful of artists on a scale from one
to 10, Wallace gave E-40 a zero. One of Wallace's entourage said to get E-40 on the
phone, Wallace explained how they had "got him drunk" and had got him "to say
anything", E-40 told his men to stand down and safely escorted them to the airport. [52]
In August 1995, Wallace's protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. ("Junior Masters At Finding
Intelligent Attitudes"), released their debut album Conspiracy. The group consisted of
his friends from childhood and included rappers such as Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, who
went on to have solo careers.[53] The record went gold and its singles, "Player's Anthem"
and "Get Money", both featuring Wallace, went gold and platinum. Wallace continued to
work with R&B artists, collaborating with R&B groups 112 (on "Only You") and Total (on
"Can't You See"), with both reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. By the end of the year,
Wallace was the top-selling male solo artist and rapper on the U.S. pop and R&B
charts.[19] In July 1995, he appeared on the cover of The Source with the caption "The
King of New York Takes Over", a reference to his alias Frank White, based on a
character from the 1990 film King of New York.[54][55] At the Source Awards in August
1995, he was named Best New Artist (Solo), Lyricist of the Year, Live Performer of the
Year, and his debut Album of the Year.[56] At the Billboard Awards, he was Rap Artist of
the Year.[21]
In his year of success, Wallace became involved in a rivalry between the East and West
Coast hip hop scenes with Shakur, now his former friend. In an interview with Vibe in
April 1995, while serving time in Clinton Correctional Facility, Shakur accused Uptown
Records' founder Andre Harrell, Sean Combs, and Wallace of having prior knowledge of
a robbery that resulted in him being shot five times and losing thousands of dollars
worth of jewelry on the night of November 30, 1994. Though Wallace and his entourage
were in the same Manhattan-based recording studio at the time of the shooting, they
denied the accusation.[57]
Wallace said: "It just happened to be a coincidence that he [Shakur] 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." [58] In 2012, a man named Dexter Isaac, serving a
life sentence for unrelated crimes, claimed that he attacked Shakur that night and that
the robbery was orchestrated by entertainment industry executive and former drug
trafficker, Jimmy Henchman.[59]
Following his release from prison, Shakur signed to Death Row Records on October 15,
1995. This made Bad Boy Records and Death Row business rivals, and thus intensified
the quarrel.[60]
1996: More arrests, accusations regarding Shakur's death, car
accident and second child
On March 23, 1996, Wallace was arrested outside a Manhattan nightclub for chasing
and threatening to kill two fans seeking autographs, smashing the windows of their
taxicab, and punching one of them.[21] He pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment
and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. In mid-1996, he was arrested at
his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, for drug and weapons possession charges.[21]
During the recording for his second album, Wallace was confronted by Shakur for the
first time since "the rumors started" at the Soul Train Awards and a gun was pulled.[61]
In June 1996, Shakur released "Hit 'Em Up", a diss track in which he claimed to have
had sex with Faith Evans, who was estranged from Wallace at the time, and that
Wallace had copied his style and image. Wallace referenced the first claim on Jay-Z's
"Brooklyn's Finest", in which he raps: "If Faye have twins, she'd probably have two
'Pacs. Get it? 2Pac's?" However, he did not directly respond to the track, stating in a
1997 radio interview that it was "not [his] style" to respond. [58]
On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las
Vegas and died six days later. Rumors of Wallace's involvement with Shakur's murder
spread. In a 2002 Los Angeles Times series titled "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?", based
on police reports and multiple sources, Chuck Philips reported that the shooting was
carried out by a Compton gang, the Southside Crips, to avenge a beating by Shakur
hours earlier, and that Wallace had paid for the gun. [62][63]
Los Angeles Times editor Mark Duvoisin wrote that "Philips' story has withstood all
challenges to its accuracy, ... [and] remains the definitive account of the Shakur
slaying."[64] Wallace's family denied the report,[65] producing documents purporting to show
that he was in New York and New Jersey at the time. However, The New York
Times called the documents inconclusive, stating:
The pages purport to be three computer printouts from Daddy's House, indicating that
Wallace was in the studio recording a song called Nasty Boy on the night Shakur was
shot. They indicate that Wallace wrote half the session, was in and out/sat
around and laid down a ref, shorthand for a reference vocal, the equivalent of a first
take. But nothing indicates when the documents were created. And Louis Alfred, the
recording engineer listed on the sheets, said in an interview that he remembered
recording the song with Wallace in a late-night session, not during the day. He could not
recall the date of the session but said it was likely not the night Shakur was shot. We
would have heard about it, Mr. Alfred said."[66]
Evans remembered her husband calling her on the night of Shakur's death and crying
from shock. She said: "I think it's fair to say he was probably afraid, given everything
that was going on at that time and all the hype that was put on this so-called beef that
he didn't really have in his heart against anyone." Wayne Barrow, Wallace's co-manager
at the time, said Wallace was recording the track "Nasty Boy" the night Shakur was
shot.[67] Shortly after Shakur's death, he met with Snoop Dogg, who claimed that Wallace
declared he never hated Shakur.[68]
Two days after the death of Shakur, Wallace and Lil' Cease were arrested for smoking
marijuana in public and had their car repossessed. [69] The next day, the dealership chose
them a Chevrolet Lumina rental SUV as a substitute, despite Lil' Cease's objections.
The vehicle had brake problems but Wallace dismissed them. [70] The car collided with a
rail in New Jersey, shattering Wallace's left leg, Lil' Cease's jaw and leaving Charli
Baltimore with numerous injuries.[71]
Wallace spent months in a hospital following the accident. He was temporarily confined
to a wheelchair,[19] forced to use a cane,[57] and had to complete physiotherapy. Despite
his hospitalization, he continued to work on the album. The accident was referred to in
the lyrics of "Long Kiss Goodnight": "Ya still tickle me, I used to be as strong as Ripple
be / Til Lil' Cease crippled me."[72]
On October 29, 1996, Evans gave birth to Wallace's son, Christopher "C.J." Wallace Jr.
[26]
 The following month, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Kim released her debut
album, Hard Core, under Wallace's direction while the two were having a "love affair".
[19]
 Lil' Kim recalled being Wallace's "biggest fan" and "his pride and joy". [73] In a 2012
interview, Lil' Kim said Wallace had prevented her from making a remix of
the Jodeci single "Love U 4 Life" by locking her in a room. According to her, Wallace
said that she was not "gonna go do no song with them", [74] likely because of the group's
affiliation with Tupac and Death Row Records.
1997: Life After Death
On January 27, 1997, Wallace was ordered to pay US$41,000 in damages following an
incident involving a friend of a concert promoter who claimed Wallace and his entourage
beat him following a dispute in May 1995.[75] He faced criminal assault charges for the
incident, which remains unresolved, but all robbery charges were dropped. [21] Following
the events, Wallace spoke of a desire to focus on his "peace of mind" and his family and
friends.[76]
In February 1997, Wallace traveled to California to promote his album Life After
Death and to record a music video for its lead single, "Hypnotize". That month Wallace
was involved in a domestic dispute with girlfriend Charli Baltimore at the Four Seasons
hotel, over pictures of Wallace and other girls. Wallace had told Lil' Cease the night prior
to take the bag with the photos out of the room, but he had not. Charli Baltimore ended
up throwing Wallace's ring and watch from the hotel window. They later found the watch
but did not recover the ring.[77]

Death
Main article: Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.

On March 8, 1997, Wallace attended Soul Train Awards after-party hosted

by Vibe and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum.[57] Guests included
Evans, Aaliyah and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs.[17] The next day at
12:30 a.m. PST, after the fire department closed the party early due to overcrowding,
Wallace left with his entourage in two GMC Suburbans to return to his hotel.[78] He
traveled in the front passenger seat alongside associates Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Lil'
Cease, and driver Gregory "G-Money" Young. Combs traveled in the other vehicle with
two bodyguards. The two trucks were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy
director of security Paul Offord.[17][79]
By 12:45 a.m., the streets were crowded with people leaving the party. Wallace's SUV
stopped at a red light 50 yards (46 m) from the Petersen Automotive Museum, and a
black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside it. The Impala's driver, an unidentified African-
American man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm
blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's car. Four bullets hit Wallace, and his entourage
subsequently rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed an
emergency thoracotomy, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.[17] He was 24 years
old. His autopsy, which was released 15 years after his death, showed that only the final
shot was fatal; it entered through his right hip and struck his colon, liver, heart, and left
lung before stopping in his left shoulder.[80]
Wallace's funeral was held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan on
March 18. There were around 350 mourners at the funeral, including Lil' Cease, Queen
Latifah, Mase, Faith Evans, SWV, Jay-Z, Damon Dash, DJ Premier, Charli
Baltimore, Da Brat, Flavor Flav, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Run-D.M.C., DJ Kool
Herc, Treach, Busta Rhymes, Salt-N-Pepa, DJ Spinderella, Foxy Brown, and Sister
Souljah. David Dinkins and Clive Davis also attended the funeral.[81] After the funeral, his
body was cremated and the ashes were given to his family. [82]

Posthumous releases
Sixteen days after his death, Wallace's double-disc second album was released as
planned. Originally titled Life After Death...'Til Death Do Us Part and later shortened
to Life After Death,[83] the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts after making a
premature appearance at No. 176 due to street-date violations. The record album
featured a much wider range of guests and producers than its predecessor. [84] It gained
strong reviews and in 2000 was certified Diamond by the RIAA.
Its lead single, "Hypnotize", was the last music video recording in which Wallace would
participate. His biggest chart success was with its follow-up "Mo Money Mo Problems",
featuring Sean Combs (under the rap alias "Puff Daddy") and Mase. Both singles
reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, making Wallace the first artist to achieve this feat
posthumously.[19] The third single, "Sky's the Limit", featuring the band 112, was noted
for its use of children in the music video, directed by Spike Jonze, who were used to
portray Wallace and his contemporaries, including Combs, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes.
Wallace was named Artist of the Year and "Hypnotize" Single of the Year
by Spin magazine in December 1997.[85]
In mid-1997, Combs released his debut album, No Way Out, which featured Wallace on
five songs, notably on the fifth single "Victory". The most prominent single from the
record album was "I'll Be Missing You", featuring Combs, Faith Evans and 112, which
was dedicated to Wallace's memory. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Life After Death and
its first two singles received nominations in the rap category. The album award was won
by Combs's No Way Out and "I'll Be Missing You" won the award in the category of
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in which "Mo Money Mo Problems" was
nominated.[86]
In 1996, Wallace started putting together a hip hop supergroup, the Commission, which
consisted of himself, Jay-Z, Lil' Cease, Combs, and Charli Baltimore. The Commission
was mentioned by Wallace in the lyrics of "What's Beef" on Life After Death and
"Victory" from No Way Out, but a Commission album was never completed. A track
on Duets: The Final Chapter, "Whatchu Want (The Commission)", featuring Jay-Z, was
based on the group.
In December 1999, Bad Boy released Born Again. The album consisted of previously
unreleased material mixed with new guest appearances, including many artists Wallace
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".[87] Nevertheless, the album sold 2 million
copies. Wallace appeared on Michael Jackson's 2001 album, Invincible.[88][89]
Over the course of time, his vocals were heard on hit songs such as "Foolish" and
"Realest Niggas" by Ashanti in 2002, and the song "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" with Shakur
the following year. In 2005, Duets: The Final Chapter continued the pattern started
on Born Again, which was criticized for the lack of significant vocals by Wallace on
some of its songs.[88][89] Its lead single "Nasty Girl" became Wallace's first UK No. 1 single.
Combs and Voletta Wallace have stated the album will be the last release primarily
featuring new material.[90]
A duet album, The King & I, featuring Evans and Notorious B.I.G., was released on May
19, 2017, which largely contained previously unreleased music. [91]
Musical style
Vocals

"Only You (Remix)"

0:31

Wallace, accompanied by ad libs from Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, uses onomatopoeic vocables and multi-syllabic

rhymes on his 1996 collaboration with R&B group 112.

"Niggas Bleed"
0:28

Wallace tells vivid stories about his everyday life as a criminal in Brooklyn (from Life After Death).

Problems playing these files? See media help.

Wallace mostly rapped in a deep tone described by Rolling Stone as a "thick, jaunty
grumble",[92] which went even deeper on Life After Death.[93] He was often accompanied
on songs with ad libs from Sean "Puffy" Combs. In The Source's "Unsigned Hype"
column, his style was described as "cool, nasal, and filtered, to bless his own material".
[94]
 AllMusic described Wallace as having "a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of
one another in quick succession".[40]
Time magazine wrote that he rapped with an ability to "make multi-syllabic
rhymes sound smooth",[39] while Krims described his rhythmic style as "effusive".
[95]
 Before starting a verse, Wallace sometimes used onomatopoeic vocables to warm up
his voice, for example "uhhh" at the beginning of "Hypnotize" and "Big Poppa", and
"what" after certain rhymes in songs such as "My Downfall". [96]
Lateef of Latyrx notes that Wallace had "intense and complex flows". [97] Fredro
Starr of Onyx said that he was "a master of the flow",[98] and Bishop Lamont stated that
he mastered "all the hemispheres of the music".[99] Wallace also often used the single-
line rhyme scheme to add variety and interest to his flow. [97] Big Daddy Kane suggested
that Wallace did not need a large vocabulary to impress listeners, stating that he "just
put his words together a slick way and it worked real good for him". [100]
Wallace was known to compose lyrics in his head rather than write them down on
paper, in a similar way to Jay-Z.[101][102] He would occasionally vary from his usual style.
On "Playa Hater", he sang in a slow falsetto.[103] On "Notorious Thugs", his collaboration
with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, he modified his style to match the rapid rhyme flow of the
group.
Themes and lyrics
Wallace's lyrical topics and themes included mafioso tales ("Niggas Bleed"), his drug-
dealing past ("Ten Crack Commandments"), materialistic bragging ("Hypnotize"), humor
("Just Playing (Dreams)"),[104] and romance ("Me & My Bitch").[104] In 2004, Rolling
Stone named him as "one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing
credible love songs".[93] In the book How to Rap, rapper Guerilla Black described how
Wallace was able to both "glorify the upper echelon" [105] and "[make] you feel his
struggle".[106]
The New York Times journalist Touré wrote in 1994, that Wallace's lyrics "[mixed]
autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty". [18] Marriott
of The New York Times wrote in 1997 that Wallace's lyrics were not strictly
autobiographical and that he "had a knack for exaggeration that increased sales".
[21]
 Wallace wrote that his debut album was "a big pie, with each slice indicating a
different point in [his] life involving bitches and niggaz... from the beginning to the end".
[107]

Rolling Stone described Ready to Die as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being

"full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop".
[93]
 AllMusic wrote of "a sense of doom" in some of his songs, and the New York
Times noted some songs being "laced with paranoia". [40][108] Wallace described himself as
feeling "broke and depressed" when he made his debut. [108] The final song on Wallace's
debut album, "Suicidal Thoughts", featured his "character" contemplating suicide and
concluded with him doing it.[93]
On Life After Death, Wallace's lyrics went "deeper".[93] Krims explained how upbeat,
dance-oriented tracks (which featured less heavily on his debut) alternate with "reality
rap" songs on the record and suggested that he was "going pimp" through some of the
lyrical topics of the former.[95] XXL magazine wrote that Wallace "revamped his image"
through the portrayal of himself between the albums, going from "mid-level hustler" on
his debut to "drug lord" on his second album.[109]
AllMusic wrote that the success of Ready to Die is "mostly due to Wallace's skill as a
storyteller".[40] In 1994, Rolling Stone described his ability in this technique as painting "a
sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene". [38] On Life After Death,
he notably demonstrated this skill on the song "I Got a Story to Tell", creating a story as
a rap for the first half of the song and then retelling the same story "for his boys" in
conversation form.[103]

Legacy
Graffiti of the Notorious B.I.G.
Mural of the Notorious B.I.G. at 5 Pointz

A mural in Brooklyn

A stencil of the Notorious B.I.G. in Asakusa, Tokyo

Considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, Wallace was described
by AllMusic as "the savior of East Coast hip-hop".[19] The Source magazine named him
the greatest rapper of all time in its 150th issue in 2002. [110][111] In 2003,
when XXL magazine asked several hip hop artists to list their five favorite MCs, Wallace
appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on
their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, calling him possibly "the most skillful ever on
the mic".[11]
Editors of About.com ranked him at No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time
(1987–2007).[112] In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 Lyrical
Leaders of all time.[113] Rolling Stone has referred to him as the "greatest rapper that ever
lived".[114] In 2015, Billboard named Wallace as the greatest rapper of all time. [10]
Wallace's lyrics have been sampled and quoted by a variety of artists, including Jay-
Z, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Game, Clinton
Sparks, Michael Jackson, and Usher. At the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Combs
and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Wallace by hiring an orchestra to play while the vocals
from "Juicy" and "Warning" played on the arena speakers.[115] At the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop
Honors, a tribute to Wallace headlined the show.[116]
Wallace had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to
produce plus-sized clothing, but it 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 Wallace on them. A portion of the proceeds go to the Christopher
Wallace Foundation and to Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. [117] In 2005,
Voletta Wallace hired branding and licensing agency Wicked Cow Entertainment to
guide the estate's licensing efforts.[118] Wallace-branded products on the market include
action figures, blankets, and cell phone content. [119]
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 to honor Wallace's
memory. 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". [120]
There is a large portrait mural of Wallace as Mao Zedong on Fulton Street in Brooklyn a
half-mile west from Wallace's old block.[121] A fan petitioned to have the corner of Fulton
Street and St. James Place, near Wallace's childhood home renamed in his honor,
garnering support from local businesses and attracting more than 560 signatures. [121]
A large portrait of Wallace features prominently in the Netflix series Luke Cage, due to
the fact that he served as muse for the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's
version of Marvel Comics character Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes.
In 2018, a movie chronicling LAPD detective Russell Poole's investigation of Wallace's
murder was released. City of Lies is based on journalist Randall Sullivan's book
"LAbrynith" and explores the corruption and cover-ups within LAPD that surround
Wallace's case. Voletta Wallace believed that Poole was honest and wasn't given the
chance to do his job. She supported the movie by appearing as herself. [122]
In August 2020, Wallace's son, C.J., released a house remix of his father's hit "Big
Poppa".[123]
A March 2021 Netflix documentary Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, executive-produced by
Voletta Wallace and Combs, focuses on B.I.G.'s life before he rose to fame as "The
King of New York", and features "unprecedented access granted by the Wallace
estate".[124]
Biopic
Notorious is a 2009 biographical film about Wallace and his life that stars rapper Jamal
Woolard as Wallace. The film was directed by George Tillman Jr. and distributed by Fox
Searchlight Pictures. Producers included Sean Combs, Wallace's former managers
Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, as well as Voletta Wallace. [125] On January 16, 2009, the
movie's debut at the Grand 18 theater in Greensboro, North Carolina was postponed
after a man was shot in the parking lot before the show. [126] The film received mixed
reviews and grossed over $44 million worldwide. [127][128]
In early October 2007, open casting calls for the role of Wallace began. [129] Actors,
rappers and unknowns all tried out. Beanie Sigel auditioned[130] for the role, but was not
picked. Sean Kingston claimed that he would play the role of Wallace, but producers
denied it.[131] Eventually, it was announced that rapper Jamal Woolard was chosen to
play Wallace[132] while Wallace's son, Christopher Wallace Jr. was cast to play Wallace
as a child.[133]
Other cast members include Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean
Combs, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim, and Anthony
Mackie as Tupac Shakur.[134] Bad Boy also released a soundtrack album to the film on
January 13, 2009; it contains many of Wallace's hit singles, including "Hypnotize" and
"Juicy", as well as rarities.[135]
Woolard would reprise his role as Biggie Smalls in the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic, All
Eyez on Me.

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

Studio albums

 Ready to Die (1994)
 Life After Death (1997)
Collaboration album

Conspiracy with Junior M.A.F.I.A. (1995)

Posthumous collaboration album

 The King & I with Faith Evans (2017)

Posthumous compilation albums

 Born Again (1999)
 Duets: The Final Chapter (2005)

Media
Filmography
 The Show (1995) as himself
 Rhyme & Reason (1997 documentary) as himself
 Biggie & Tupac (2002 documentary) archive footage
 Tupac Resurrection (2004 documentary) archive footage
 Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life (2007 documentary) archive footage
 Notorious (2009) archive footage
 All Eyez on Me (2017) archive footage
 Quincy (2018 documentary) archive footage
 Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. (2017 documentary) archive footage
 Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021 documentary) archive footage
Television appearances
  New York Undercover (1995) as himself
 Martin (1995) as himself
 Who Shot Biggie & Tupac? (2017) archive footage
 Unsolved (2018) archive footage

Awards and nominations

Year of
Award Nominee/work
ceremony

The Notorious B.I.G. New Artis

The Notorious B.I.G. Lyricist of

The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards[136] 1995

The Notorious B.I.G. Live Perfo

Ready To Die Album of

The Notorious B.I.G. Rap Artist

1995
"One More Chance/Stay with Me
Billboard Music Awards [137][138] Rap Single
(Remix)" (with Faith Evans)

1997 Life After Death R&B Albu

Grammy Awards[139][140] 1996 "Big Poppa" Best Rap S

1998 "Hypnotize" Best Rap S

"Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) Best Rap P

Group
 Year of
Award Nominee/work
ceremony

Life After Death Best Rap A

1997 "Hypnotize" Best Rap V

MTV Video Music Awards[141][142]

1998 "Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) Best Rap V

"One More Chance/Stay With Me

1996 R&B/Soul
(Remix)" (with Faith Evans)

Life After Death Best R&B/

Soul Train Music Awards[143][144]

R&B/Soul
1998 Life After Death
Year

"Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) Best R&B/

Black Reel Awards[145] 2004 "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (with Tupac Shakur) Best Origi

ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music 2005 "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" (with Tupac Shakur) Top Sound
Awards[146][147][148]

2017 The Notorious B.I.G. ASCAP Fo

2020 "Sicko Mode" Winning R

Songs

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[149] 2020 The Notorious B.I.G. Performe
See also
 List of murdered hip hop musicians

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Notes
1. ^ Until Wallace's death.

Further reading
 Coker, Cheo Hodari (2004). Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the
Notorious B.I.G. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-609-80835-1.
 Wallace, Voletta; McKenzie, Tremell; Evans, Faith (foreword) (2005). Biggie: Voletta
Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G.
Atria. ISBN 978-0-7434-7020-9.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Notorious B.I.G..

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Notorious B.I.G..

 NotoriousOnline.org Non-profit Biggie Smalls fan site

 The Notorious B.I.G. collected news and commentary at The New York Times
 The Notorious B.I.G. at IMDb
 FBI Records: The Vault – Christopher (Biggie Smalls) Wallace at vault.fbi.gov

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