The Life And Legacy Of Christopher ‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace
Notorious BIG aka Biggie Smalls performing at Urban Aid charity show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, on October 5, 1995. | Source: David Corio / Getty
UPDATED: 9:30 a.m. ET, March 9, 2023
Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace was gunned down March 9, 1997, just two months shy of his 25th birthday. With fame and all the perks that came along with his stellar rapping ability, he was destined to achieve so much more. Thursday marked the 26th anniversary of the death of, Biggie Smalls, as he was also popularly known. NewsOne takes a look back at the life and legacy of the heavyweight Brooklyn rap legend.
Hip-hop music was in a curious place, as many were still mourning the death of Wallace’s rival, Tupac “2Pac” Shakur, who was killed a mere six months prior, September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas via a drive-by shooting. Because of the tensions between East and West Coast rappers at the time, many fans thought 2Pac’s death was a fatal warning serving as a salvo for the escalating coastal war. Dying in a similar fashion, Biggie’s murder left a foreboding cloud over the industry as it suddenly became less about the music and more about the violence it inspired.
Born Christopher George Latore Wallace to Jamaican parents George Latore and Voletta Wallace, the future Bad Boy star was raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. According to his mother’s accounts, Wallace was a good student but succumbed to the trappings of the streets while in middle school. By the time he reached high school, his involvement in the drug trade increased, and he was later jailed for his actions. Despite his life of crime, Wallace had a natural knack for rapping and made a demo tape using the alias Biggie Smalls.
A street sign for Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way at Fulton street and St. James Place in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York. | Source: Epics / Getty
The tape made its way to the hands of Mister Cee, a popular DJ who worked with another Brooklyn legend, rapper Big Daddy Kane. Mister Cee played the tape for editors at hip-hop magazine, The Source, who were so wowed that they featured Biggie in their “Unsigned Hype” column in a March 1992 issue and reportedly invited him to record more music. The demo caught the ears of Uptown Records producer and A&R Sean “Diddy” Combs who rushed to sign the hefty MC.
Wallace still sold drugs as he joined Combs’ newly minted label, Bad Boy Records, later in 1992. After an appearance on a remix of Mary J. Blige’s smash “Real Love” single as the Notorious B.I.G., Wallace became a household name.
Listen to Blige’s “Real Love” remix with B.I.G. below.
Combs developed his protégé slowly, having Wallace appear on tracks with reggae star Super Cat, LL Cool J and more. But it was with his debut album, Ready To Die, in September of 1994 that Wallace cemented himself as a force.
Marrying R&B singer Faith Evans a month prior, Wallace’s career arc was exceptional, considering West Coast hip-hop ruled heavily on the airwaves and among consumers. Spawning huge hits in the singles “Juicy,” “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance,” the LP went on to go platinum multiple times over.
Between his debut and sophomore effort, Wallace helmed the creation of the off-shoot music group Junior M.A.F.I.A., featuring his childhood friends Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease. The crew had hits in the singles “Player’s Anthem” and “Get Money” — both staples of any old-school rap mix nationwide.
Surprisingly enough, Shakur and Wallace were once allies and had even performed live shows with each other. Things took a turn, however, when Shakur accused Uptown Records boss Andre Harrell, Combs and Wallace of setting him up for a robbery and shooting in a New York studio in 1994.
Wallace denied all claims, and in 2012 it was revealed the beleaguered businessman and music mogul James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond was responsible for ordering a hit on Shakur.
The feud between the pair never went away and Shakur released his infamous and scathing diss record “Hit ‘Em Up” in the summer of 1996, squarely aimed in Wallace’s direction. Shakur also claimed to have slept with Wallace’s wife on the record, but it went largely ignored by the target.
As previously mentioned, Shakur was killed later that fall and the rumors began to swirl. Was Wallace responsible for Shakur’s slaying? Did the diss record cut that deep to warrant the shooting?
While in California to promote his second album, Wallace was shot after attending the Soul Train Music Awards. As he was leaving an industry after-party in an SUV, Wallace was hit with four bullets by a gunman who hopped out of a vehicle while Wallace’s entourage was stuck at a red light.
The murder remains unsolved, although it was initially rumored that Suge Knight, the owner of Death Row Records who counted 2Pac as a signee, ordered the shooting.
Brooklyn hip-hop legend Mob James, Suge Knight’s ex-capo, said he knows who shot Biggie.
During an interview with VladTV, James confirmed theories that Wardell “Poochie” Fouse, a blood gang member and Suge’s associate, is the one who pulled the trigger that night in Los Angeles that ended Biggie’s life.
The Life After Death album was released posthumously March 25, 1997. It was a double-disc album, marking the progression of Wallace’s style and highlighting his amazing ability to adapt to the times. It has gone on to become one of hip-hop’s best-selling albums and was certified Diamond (10 million sold) in 2000.
Survived by his daughter Tynna, who is now 29 and owns a clothing line called Notoriouss Clothing. Tynna was featured in Wallace’s “Juicy” video when she was just a toddler and maintains her father’s legacy.
Wallace’s son with Evans, also named Christopher, is an actor.
The tragic circumstances that led to the death of Wallace just as he was ready to become an even bigger star still boggles the mind. Yet, there is some comfort in knowing that Wallace’s legacy remains untarnished despite one too many posthumous releases from Bad Boy’s vaults. Listeners worldwide have been robbed of witnessing what Wallace would have done next, and while he left us with plenty, it will never be enough.
Rest In Powerful Peace, Biggie Smalls. You are the illest.
SEE ALSO:
An Open Letter To Biggie Fans On The Anniversary Of His Death
10 Facts You Might Have Not Known About The Notorious B.I.G.
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