新澳门开奖结果

Top 10 Facts About Rapper Notorious B.I.G.    

Notorious B.I.G. once said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e nobody 鈥檛il somebody kills you.鈥� He also said, 鈥淚 never wish death on nobody, ’cause there ain鈥檛 coming back from that.鈥�   

Notorious B.I.G., whose official name was Christopher George Latore Wallace, was an American rapper who rose to fame in the 1990s. Known for his larger-than-life personality, rapping talent marked with effortless flow plus lyrical prowess, Biggie remains an icon in the world of hip-hop close to three decades after his untimely death.   

This rapper began as a street hustler in Brooklyn and even documented his struggle in his hit song 鈥楯uicy鈥� saying 鈥楤irthdays were the worst days, now we sip champagne when we thirsty鈥�. He changed his situation from rags-to-riches which became part of his legacy. 

The late rapper earned the 鈥楰ing of New York鈥� title for being one of the greatest rappers of all time and for his impact on the genre. Read these top 10 facts about rapper Notorious B.I.G.  

1. Biggie鈥檚 Parents Were Jamaican Immigrants 

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Christopher George Latore Wallace was born on 21st May 1972 in Brooklyn, New York City, at St. Mary’s Hospital. His parents, Voletta Wallace and Selwyn George Latore, were from Jamaica and they separated when Biggie was small. Voletta, a struggling single mum in the big apple, had to work two jobs to afford their bills.

Even though he grew up surrounded by poverty and crime, Biggie took his studies seriously, always topping his class. He loved English and had a special interest in the subject.

He was a bright student and always had a big body so his friends nicknamed him “Books” due to his intellect plus “Big” for being overweight. 

2. He Dropped Out Of High School Before Graduation 

Biggie was attending Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School but requested to be transferred to George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn. He developed a “smart-ass” attitude at the new school. 

By this time, Biggie was free-styling and entertaining people on the streets as MC CWest. Other stage names he would adopt later include Biggie, Frank White, Big, Big Poppa, and Biggie Smalls, which he was sued for settling for Notorious B.I.G. 

He dropped out before graduating due to legal troubles at the age of 17 years. Despite his challenges, Christopher continued to pursue his passion for music, honing his skills as a rapper and earning recognition for his talent. 

3. Biggie Started Selling Drugs From When He Was 12 Years Old 

The Notorious B.I.G. –

With his mum always away from home and his “smart-ass” attitude, Biggie started to sell drugs when he was 12 years old behind his mother鈥檚 back. He was trying to make money but his neighbors snitched on him several times leading to arrests, first for possessing illegal weapons, then for selling drugs like cocaine. 

Spending close to a year in jail made him rethink his life choices and in the end, he decided to pursue a music career.

4. P. Diddy Discovered Him In The Early 1990s

Having had a reputation in the local hip-hop scene for his freestyle rapping ability, Biggie made a demo tape, Microphone Murderer and it got to Sean Combs a.k.a. Puff Daddy who was scouting for talent to sign up at Bad Boy Records. 

Soon after, his first album titled Ready to Die was released. Biggie鈥檚 distinctive flow and vivid storytelling made him stand out from other rappers at the time and he won awards for his music.

Read facts about Sean Combs here.

5. Biggie Worked With Michael Jackson 

This rapper collaborated with other artists such as Lil’ Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. but the most notable collabo was with Michael Jackson, who expressed his desire to work with Biggie.

Biggie and M. J. worked on a remix of  You Are Not Alone, adding a rap verse therein and it became a commercial success. 

Here are outstanding facts about Michael Jackson.

6. He Was At The Center Of The East Coast鈥揥est Coast Feud

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Biggie was at the center of a hip-hop rivalry between two of the biggest rap labels at the time, Bad Boy Records, based in New York, and Death Row Records, based in Los Angeles.

It began in 1994 when Tupac Shakur was shot five times in a New York recording studio and he accused Bad Boy Records P. Diddy and The Notorious B.I.G of being involved.

Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. were murdered in separate incidents in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Though the murders remain unsolved, the feud officially ended with their deaths.

Before the East Coast鈥揥est Coast Rappers War, which highlighted issues of violence and gang culture that were prevalent in the rap industry at the time, Tupac and Biggie were friends.

Here are facts about Tupac Shakur.

7. Biggie Released Only One Album When He Was Alive

Notorious B.I.G. had two studio albums to his name. Ready to Die which was released in 1994, and Life After Death, which was his last project. It was scheduled for release in late March of 1997, but Biggie died earlier that month so the album was released posthumously.

He had helped work on other albums for other artists but he was never credited for his songwriting and production.

8. He Was Married To Singer Faith Evans

The Notorious B.I.G. –

Biggie was a father of two. His first child was a daughter named T’yanna who was born on 8th August 1993. Her mum was his long-term girlfriend Jan Jackson.

At the end of July 1994, Biggie met R&B singer Faith Evans at a Bad Boy Record photoshoot. The two got married barely a week after, on 4th August 1994, and although they had issues, they remained married until his death. They had a son, Christopher “C.J.” Wallace Jr., who was born on 29th October 1996.

9. Biggie Was Killed In A Drive-by Shooting In Los Angeles

The day was 8th March 1997, Biggie and other artists were attending the Soul Train Awards after-party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. The party ended prematurely at midnight due to overcrowding.

Biggie was shot as he was returning to his hotel shortly before 1 a.m. on 9th March 1997. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was 24 years old.

Biggie’s funeral service was held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan on 18th March 1997, and his remains were cremated thereafter.

10. There Is A Foundation In His Honor

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Biggie won many awards even after his passing and is still being awarded and honored to this day. His mum, Voletta Wallace, set up The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation in honor of Biggie’s memory.

The foundation holds an annual black-tie dinner (“B.I.G. Night Out”) to raise funds for children’s school equipment. For this event, “B.I.G.” stands for “Books Instead of Guns” as well as the rapper’s name.

Despite Notorious B.I.G.’s untimely death, his music and legacy continue to inspire and influence artists and fans around the world. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Read this article about 30 Famous People Who Were Murdered.