biggie

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), also known as Biggie Smalls (after a stylish gangster in 1975's Let's Do it Again) , Big Poppa and The Black Frank White (from the film King of New York), but best known as The Notorious B.I.G (Business Instead of Game), was a very popular rapper who rose to fame during the mid-1990s.

Born in Brooklyn, Christopher Wallace was raised at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980's, and was a drug dealer in Bedford-Stuyvesant.^{citation needed]} After becoming a convicted felon, he decided to become a rapper.^{citation needed]} By the time his critically acclaimed album Ready to Die was released in 1994, he became the central figure of East Coast hip-hop, reviving New York into a hip-hop scene which had previously been focused on West Coast hip-hop. Biggie's double disc set, Life After Death, sold over 10 million copies and is the second best-selling hip-hop album of all time.^[1] Biggie was noted for his storytelling, freestyling, and his easy to understand yet complex lyrics. He is also one of the pioneers of memorizing lyrics. His career was dominated by the Bad Boy/Death Row Records feud during his life, but following his death, Biggie has been celebrated as one of the all time greatest hip-hop artists.^[2]

Early life

Christopher Wallace was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. His father, George Latore, left the family shortly before his birth. His mother Voletta was a schoolteacher.

Before he had intentions of becoming a rapper, he wanted to pursue a dream of becoming a graphics designer or a dentist, but his involvement in the drug game had steered him away from his ambitious plans through formal education^{citation needed]}.

Wallace attended Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn, along with fellow MCs (and future collaborators) Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes. While he is known to have dropped out of school to become a drug dealer, his mother has claimed that the family was not poor and that Wallace exaggerated his childhood situation in his lyrics^{citation needed]}. His best childhood friend and inspiration was a chubby kid who went by the name of Lil Punisha.

After he dropped out of school, he and his girlfriend of the time, Florence "Jan" Tucker, had a baby named T'yanna. With the need to financially support the child, Wallace decided to pursue a rap career as opposed to drugs.

Rap career

Christopher Wallace made a tape under the name of B.I.G./Biggie Smalls. He chose this name because he stood at 6 foot 3 inches tall (1.90m)and weighed between 300 to 400 pounds (136kg-181kg/21-28stone). ^{citation needed]} The demo tape was produced by popular DJ Mr. Cee, the Dj for Big Daddy Kane. The tape gained him some notice, and he was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers.

His demo tape found its way into the hands of producer and hip-hop celebrity Sean "Puffy" Combs, who was working at Bad Boy Records at the time and arranged for a meeting with Wallace. Combs and Wallace became instant friends, performing together on the 1993 reggae song "Dolly My Baby" by Super Cat.

Despite his new deal with Combs, Wallace was initially skeptical that rap music could provide him with a financially comfortable life. He continued to traffic drugs to the south (of New York). Combs found that Biggie was still selling drugs, he pleaded with Wallace to return to making music. Wallace chose to quit dealing drugs and the house he kept his drugs in was raided the next day. Biggie then became a full time artist, as he never sold drugs again.

Wallace first gained notice with "Party and Bullshit," his first single. He made his second mainstream appearance on the remix of Mary J. Blige's smash hits "Real Love" & "What's the 411". He appeared on the "Flava in Ya Ear" remix by Craig Mack, and on the album One Million Strong. Biggie appeared on a song called "Runnin'" with 2Pac and Dramacydal. He also recorded with Bad Boy Record's Heavy D on the tracks "A Bunch of Niggas" (alongside Guru, 3rd Eye, Rob-O and Busta Rhymes) and "Let's Get It On" (with 2Pac and Brand Nubian's Grand Puba). All of these guest appearances built a sizeable buzz around Wallace's name leading up to his solo debut.

In 1994, he released "Juicy", his first mainstream single. He also released Ready to Die, his debut album, which is regarded as one of Hip-Hop's all-time classics (along with Nas' critically-acclaimed debut LP Illmatic and Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)) and is credited with revitalizing East Coast hip-hop. The album features one of Rap's most famous "playa anthems," "Big Poppa," which samples the Isley Brothers.

Wallace's album drew critical acclaim for its vivid story-telling and razor-sharp lyricism^{citation needed]}. It also was noted for its diversity which featured radio-friendly cuts (e.g. "Juicy" and "Big Poppa") and grimier, hardcore cuts (e.g. "Warning" and "Who Shot Ya").

Biggie's album debuted at number 17, selling 36,342 copies in the first week.^{citation needed]} This was the third highest "First Week Sales" by a male Hip-Hop artist at the time.

In 1994, Wallace's protegés, Junior M.A.F.I.A. (Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes), released the album Conspiracy. During that same year, Wallace introduced to the mainstream his crewmates Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease. His single "One More Chance" debuted at #5 on the pop charts, tying "Scream/Childhood" by Michael Jackson as the highest debut single in music history at the time ( although this record has since been surpassed by Jackson's "You Are Not Alone," which debuted at number one). "One More Chance," which sampled the R&B song "Stay With Me" was a remix of the song by the same name that originally appeared on Ready to Die. "One More Chance" was also his highest selling single, going Platinum in a matter of weeks.

Also in 1995, Wallace featured in Michael Jackson's song "This Time Around", which can be found on Jackson's HIStory album. This was not the only Michael Jackson song in which Wallace featured in. In 2001, Jackson included a rap verse sung by Wallace in his song "Unbreakable", which is found on Jackson's Invincible album.

By the end of 1995, Wallace had become one of the most famous and popular rappers in the world. He was named "Lyricist of the Year" by The Source ^{citation needed]}, and many dubbed him the "King of New York" (a play on his "Frank White" persona.)

Technique

From early in his career, Biggie's lyrical content involved hardcore gangsta-rap lyrics at a time when that style dominated the West Coast, and most of his native New York was dominated by the jazziness of A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr and the blend of Five Percenter/far East-influenced/gangsta stylings of MCs like Afu Ra, Jeru the Damaja and the Wu-Tang Clan.

Over the course of his career, fans who called him the greatest Hip-Hop artist would cite his flow, topical diversity, and vivid, detailed storytelling.^{citation needed]} He also moved from simple thug lyrics to mafioso-like tales of "Gangsterism", a posturing which some speculate could have led to his death.

East Coast - West Coast feud

Although Ready to Die made Wallace a star, he is most famed for his involvement in Rap's infamous feud between the East and West Coast scenes. Before Ready to Die was released, he began to associate with rap superstar Tupac Shakur, a New York City native who moved to Baltimore and later Marin City and then Los Angeles. They recorded a number of songs together, and Wallace even performed alongside Shakur in the now-famous Madison Square Garden freestyle in 1994. However, their friendship ended when Shakur was shot in November of that year. Though there is no evidence suggesting it, Shakur claimed that Combs and Wallace knew about the shooting beforehand based on their behavior that night and what he had heard from his sources. Shakur subsequently joined Death Row Records after his release from prison in late 1995.

Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment were the two most successful labels of the 1990s. Thus with the two biggest stars in rap now associated with different labels, the feud escalated. In 1996, Tupac recorded a song called "Hit 'Em Up", in which he claims to have slept with Biggie's wife Faith Evans, and that Biggie copied his style. When Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, rumors of Wallace's possible involvement in the murder cropped up almost immediately. He denied the allegations based on injuries he suffered in a car crash that shattered his leg and would force him to use a cane for the rest of his life. The accident was alluded to in a lyric from his song "Long Kiss Goodnight": "It used to tickle me / I used to be as hard as Ripple be / 'Til Lil Cease crippled me / Now I play hard like my girls' nipples be / The game sour like a pickle be / Y'all know the rules".

Death

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was attending the Soul Train Music Awards at the Peterson Automotive Museum on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Other guests included Busta Rhymes, Heavy D, Da Brat, Aaliyah, Jermaine Dupri, Jagged Edge, Yo Yo, and Sean "Puffy" Combs.

Just after midnight fire marshals shut down the party due to overcrowding of the museum. Biggie left with his friends in two black GMC Suburbans. Sean Combs was in one truck. In the second truck there was Biggie in the front passenger seat with friends Damion Butler, sitting behind the driver, and Lil' Cease behind Biggie.

By 12:45 a.m. the street was crowded with people leaving the event. Biggie's truck stopped at a red light just 50 yards from the museum. While waiting for the light to change a black Chevy Impala crept up alongside the truck Biggie was in. The driver of the Impala (an African-American male neatly dressed in a blue suit and bow tie) rolled down his window, drew a 9mm pistol and shot numerous rounds into the GMC Suburban; four hit Biggie in the chest. It was believed he was killed instantly, but paramedics rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder case has been reopened in July of 2006.^[3]

Funeral

Biggie's death was a shock to the music industry. Wallace was loved in his neighborhood and his funeral was well-attended. Thousands flooded into his Brooklyn neighborhood to catch a glimpse of his hearse. Many heard this and started jumping on cars and clashing with police; ten people were arrested.^[4]

Smalls was cremated on March 18, 1997.

Theories about his death

His murder has not been solved, though theories abound as to the motives and identities of the murderers. Pipe Records CEO Luigi and the Toads Piru Bloods gang with whom he associated are among the prime suspects for involvement. In his book Pipe World, LAPD officer Russell Poole probes the circumstances and figures involved in the shootings.

Still some believe that the Crips gang may have shot Wallace in retaliation for his not paying for the security services they provided at a previous party. However, it should be noted that such theories are simply speculation.

Director Nick Broomfield and co-producer Dmitri Leybman have released an investigative documentary called Biggie & Tupac which implicates the LAPD and Suge Knight. Proponents of this theory defend it because the LAPD's elite robbery and homicide unit didn't begin to investigate Wallace's murder until a month after it happened, and the job was given to a poorly funded division of LAPD investigators; and several prison inmates who were once members of the Mob Piru Bloods have come forward and said that they know for a fact that Suge Knight ordered Wallace's murder due to their own personal connections.

Lawsuits

In March 2005, Violetta Wallace sued the LAPD for $2 million dollars in a wrongful death lawsuit. Wallace claimed that the LAPD had sufficient enough evidence to catch the murderer of her son, but failed to utilize it. She won the lawsuit in the summer of 2005, and the case has since been re-opened. The civil trial is expected to commence in 2006. Attorneys for Wallace have stated her son's estate could be as worth as much as $362 million, an amount that could bankrupt the city of Los Angeles, if the LAPD is found to have played a role in Notorious B.I.G.'s murder.^[5]

Posthumous career

Life After Death, Wallace's second album, debuted at #1 on the charts. The album was released only two weeks after his death. The album's lead single "Hypnotize" was also the last music video he would take part in. Life After Death hit number one on the Billboard charts and spawned several hit singles in the United States. The album sold over 10 million copies in the U.S alone and is the second best selling hip-hop album of all time. His biggest chart hit was "Mo Money, Mo Problems," which featured Combs (under the rap alias "Puff Daddy") and rapper Ma$e, and sampled the disco song "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross for the beat. The video is noted for having started the "Shiny Suit" era in hip hop. The last video single from Life After Death was "Sky's The Limit," featuring 112, which borrowed a sample of Bobby Caldwell's "My Flame". The video for this song, directed by Spike Jonze, was noted for the use of children portraying Wallace and his contemporaries, such as Combs, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes. This technique has been recently used in the Three 6 Mafia music video for "Poppin' My Collar"

During the summer of 1997, Combs released his debut album, No Way Out, which featured Wallace on a number of songs, notably in the chorus of the single "Been Around the World" over a David Bowie sample ("Let's Dance"). However, the single that carried this album to the top was "I'll Be Missing You," which was dedicated to Wallace's memory. The song featured Puff Daddy, Wallace's widow Faith Evans and 112. The song sampled The Police's hit song "Every Breath You Take." All these artists performed the song with former Police vocalist Sting during the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.

In 1999, Combs released Wallace's third album, Born Again. It had two hit singles: "Notorious B.I.G." featuring Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim (interpolation to the Duran Duran's song of the same name), and "Dead Wrong" a single that later was remixed with a verse from Eminem. The video for "Notorious B.I.G." also featured appearances by 98 Degrees and Fat Joe.

In 2001, one of Wallace's raps was featured in Michael Jackson's song "Unbreakable," which was included on his multi-platinum album Invincible. Wallace previously collaborated with Jackson in his 1995 song "This Time Around" from the autobiographical album HIStory.

In 2002, former producer and friend of Wallace, Irv Gotti, sampled Wallace's classic, record breaking hit "One More Chance" for his up-and-coming singer, Ashanti. The song, called "Foolish" was one of the biggest hits of 2002, and Wallace's verse from "Fuck You Tonight" (from Life After Death) was added to the remix. Gotti paid tribute to Wallace at a Hot 97 performance of the song later that year.

Also in 2002, Combs gave 50 Cent rights to sample Wallace's verses from "Niggas" (a song from the Born Again album) into a song called "The Realest Niggaz." It got out as a single and was a big hit on New York radio stations. Many have attributed that song as the first big break for 50 Cent, who is now one of hip-hop's biggest superstars. The song was later put on the soundtrack for the 2003 hit movie Bad Boys 2 with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Later on in 2003, Eminem remixed the 1994 Wallace/Shakur collaboration "RUNNIN'" and added a sample of Edgar Winter's "Dying to Live." Titled "Runnin' (Dying To Live)", the song was released as a single from the soundtrack of Tupac Resurrection. In 2004, DJ Green Latern remixed Wallace's classic "Everyday Struggle" with a popular song by crooner Akon. The song, which also featured the vocals of 2Pac, Jadakiss and Styles P, was called "Ghetto".

On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Combs (who was hosting the event) and Snoop Dogg paid a well-received tribute to Wallace: an orchestra played while the lyrics from "Juicy" and "Warning" played on the arena speakers. In September 2005, VH1 had its second annual "Hip Hop Honors," with a tribute to Wallace headlining the show. The Duets: The Final Chapter album was released December 20, 2005. The album spawned the singles "Nasty Girl", which became his first UK #1, as well as "Spit Your Game", "Whatchu Want", and "Hold Ya Head".

On March 19, 2006, a judge ordered that sales of Ready to Die be halted because the title track apparently sampled "Singing in the Morning" by the Ohio Players without permission. ^[6] Combs said he plans to appeal, and is very confident he will win this time.

After death - if he were alive

The rapper Jadakiss, who was a close associate of Biggie's, stated in an appearance on MTV's The Shop that most rappers popular today would "be taking fast food orders" if Wallace were still producing music. However, Wallace's friends Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim and Diddy, all insist that he was not going to be in hip-hop for a very long time. In an interview with XXL Magazine (conducted in 1995 but released in 2003), Wallace himself said he was planning to retire from rap music in 2000 to manage the careers of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. members.

In the song "1970 Somethin", a song featuring West Coast rapper The Game and Faith Evans, Game dedicates an entire verse to Wallace and emulating him in performance. Here is an excerpt:

"If I was in Brooklyn and B.I. was still alive
In 2006, it might sound like this
NY, 7-1-8's, 2-1-2's
With Sue's rendezvous, it's like Moulin Rouge
High fashion, uptown Air Force Ones and Vasquez
Puerto Ricans with fat asses
Blazed Dutch Masters, we dump ashes
On models in S classes for you bastards
Catch a cab to Manhattan, with that Broadway actin'
You hype, that Belly shit'll get you capped and wrapped in plastic
Tell the captain to ask Rog' What's Happenin'?
I hear, nor speak no evil inside the magnum"

At the time of his death Biggie had begun to promote a clothing line called "Brooklyn Mint" which was directly targeted towards heavy set people. The clothing line, which was co-founded by B.I.G. himself, never got off the ground due to his untimely death. However, Jay-Z, a close friend of Biggie, and a successful clothing entrepenur, re-launched Brooklyn Mint in 2004. All proceeds of Brooklyn Mint go to the Christopher Wallace Foundation.

Legacy

Biggie is widely celebrated as one of the all time greatest hip-hop artists. Unfortunately, a huge knock on Biggie's legacy is the fact that he only recorded two albums while alive, with only two posthumous releases in the near-decade since his death. In 2006, MTV ranked Biggie as the #1 MC of all time, but later rescinded. However, he still ranked number #3, with 2Pac and Jay-Z ranked ahead of him.

Biggie's lyrics have also been sampled by many prominent hip hop artists, such as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Nelly, Pharrell Williams, Beanie Sigel, Juelz Santana, and even R & B stars like Usher, Ashanti, and Alicia Keys. In 2001, The Source crowned Biggie as the greatest rapper of all time. Likewise, in 2003, when XXL Magazine asked many hip-hop artists to list their 5 favorite MC's, Biggie's name appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else.

At the time of his death, Wallace created a hip-hop supergroup called The Commission, which consisted of himself, Jay-Z, Lil' Cease, P. Diddy and Charli Baltimore. A song on the Duets album called "Whatchu Want (The Commission)" featuring Wallace and Jay-Z is based on the group. The Commission was also mentioned in the song "Victory" from No Way Out. However, cosidering his later style of La Costra Nostra, he was probably referring to The Commission, which Heads of the mafia familes board of directors. Other rumored members of the Commission included Ma$e, Cam'ron and the LOX.

Every year the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation holds a 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 Notorious B.I.G. (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".)^[7]

Biggie's branding and licensing efforts are spearheaded by Wicked Cow Entertainment, Inc. out of New York City.

Trivia

• Among the performers Biggie discovered, or in some way helped further their rap careers, were Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Cam'ron, Lil' Kim, Mase, Charli Baltimore.
• Method Man is the only artist to feature on Ready To Die, on the track "The What".
• He collaborated with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the only group who have had the opportunity to collaborate with Biggie and each of the late rappers 2Pac, Eazy-E, and Big Pun in their lifetime. They were first featured with Biggie on the track "Notorious Thugs" which has been recently remixed in the track Spit Your Game. On "Notorious Thugs," Biggie flips his usual flow to match the speed rapping of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
• His song "Big Poppa" was featured throughout the 2001 movie Hardball.
• Both "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money Mo Problems" hit #1 after Biggie's death giving him two posthumous #1 hits - more than any other singer. Other posthumous #1 hits belong to Otis Redding ("The Dock Of The Bay"); Janis Joplin ("Me And Bobby McGee"); Jim Croce ("Time In A Bottle"); and, John Lennon ("(Just Like) Starting Over").
• Biggie had the ability to create verses in his head and was able to freestyle tracks on the mic without the use of pen and paper. This skill was also shared by Jay-Z, which lead to their eventual friendship. This was also a reason why he has very little posthumous material. Other artists who use this unique style of rapping (and cite Biggie as an influence) include Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Common.
• He is of Jamaican descent. ^{citation needed]}
• Biggie's diss track "Kick In The Door" was directed towards fellow New York rappers Nas, according to Nas on his song "Last Real Nigga Alive" and Jeru the Damaja, according to a XXL Magazine interview with Jeru and producer DJ Premier. Each emcee had a verse dedicated to him: the second verse being directed at Jeru, the final and third verse of the song being directed at Nas.
• Biggie was good friends with now rivals Jay-Z and Cam'Ron and ironically instrumental in both of their careers.
• Biggie was featured on Shaquille O'Neal's song "Can't Stop the Reign".
• Biggie originally wanted "Machine Gun Funk" to be his debut single but Puffy changed his mind.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Featured singles

As featured performer

References

1. ^ RIAA Top 100 Albums (2006-05-04). Retrieved on 2006-08-03.
2. ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index11.jhtml
3. ^ "LAPD launching new Notorious BIG task force", The Associated Press, 2006-08-03. Retrieved on 2006-09-29. (in English)
4. ^ "Biggie Smalls' last ride to Brooklyn", The Associated Press, 1997-03-19. Retrieved on 2006-09-29. (in English)
5. ^ Philips, Chuck. "LAPD Renews Search for Rapper's Killer", Los Angeles Times, 2006-07-31. Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
6. ^ Notorious B.I.G. Album Sales Halted. cbc.ca (2006-03-19). Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
7. ^ Biggie, Jam Master Jay, Left Eye And Their Mothers Honored At B.I.G. Night Out. mtv.com (2003-03-21). Retrieved on 2006-08-01.

External links

• Official website for the new album "Duets: The Final Chapter"
• Biggie Smalls Freestylefilm clip from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, 1989
• "Brooklyn Noir", PopMatters column (12/2005)

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