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The Notorious B.I.G.
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper and lyricist. His name was Christopher George Latore Wallace and he was born in 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Jamaican parents. His father left the family when he was almost three, and his mother raised him alone. At Westinghouse High School he got the nickname Big. In 1993 he was the first artist to sign with Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records, and he stood out for his guest appearances on other people's singles.
Music and breakthrough
His debut album Ready to Die from 1994 contained the singles Juicy, Big Poppa and One More Chance. It made him the central figure of East Coast hip hop, at a time when the West Coast dominated the genre. In 1995 he was named Rapper of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. He was also involved in the growing rivalry between East and West Coast, among other things in a feud with his former friend Tupac Shakur. Shakur was shot dead in Las Vegas in September 1996. Six months later, on 9 March 1997, Wallace himself was shot dead in Los Angeles in a drive-by shooting. Two weeks later the double album Life After Death was released, with Hypnotize and Mo Money Mo Problems.
Influence
Wallace was known for his relaxed, loose way of rapping, which contrasted with the often grim content of his lyrics. His music was half autobiographical and told of poverty and crime, but also of excess and partying. He is widely seen as one of the best rappers ever, and in 2020 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His death showed how deep the rivalry in hip hop could go.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1994Ready to Die
- 1997Life After Death
- 2005Duets: The Final Chapter
- 2009Notorious (soundtrack)
- 2017The King & I
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 6: Fear of a Black PlanetNL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Gangsta rap Genre
In the mid-1990s the rivalry between the East and West Coast got out of hand; 2Pac (1996) and The Notorious B.I.G.