Historical Figure
The Notorious B.I.G.
d. 1997
American rapper (1972–1997)
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Biography
Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper and songwriter. Rooted in the East Coast hip-hop and gangsta rap traditions, he is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive, laidback lyrical delivery, offsetting his lyrics' often grim content. His music was semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality but also of debauchery and celebration.
Timeline
The story of The Notorious B.I.G., told in moments.
Born Christopher George Latore Wallace in Brooklyn, New York. Only child of a Jamaican preschool teacher. He grows up in a one-bedroom apartment on St. James Place in Clinton Hill. He starts dealing crack at 12.
A demo tape reaches Mister Cee, DJ for Big Daddy Kane. It gets to The Source magazine, which names Wallace the "unsigned hype" in its March 1992 column. Sean "Puffy" Combs signs him to Bad Boy Records. He's 19.
Releases Ready to Die. It debuts at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and goes quadruple platinum. "Juicy" turns his childhood poverty into a hook: "It was all a dream. I used to read Word Up! magazine." He's 22 and the biggest rapper on the East Coast.
His rival Tupac Shakur is shot in Las Vegas and dies six days later. The East Coast-West Coast feud has consumed hip-hop for two years. Biggie denies involvement. Six months later, he travels to Los Angeles to promote his second album.
Shot four times in a drive-by at a red light in Los Angeles after leaving a Soul Train Music Awards party. He's 24. The shooter is never caught. His second album, Life After Death, releases 16 days later. It debuts at number one and sells 10 million copies.
In Their Own Words (1)
Artifacts (14)
The notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith, a drama in four acts (IA notoriousmrsebbs00p)
Pinero, Arthur Wing, Sir, 1855-1934
The notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith, a drama in four acts (IA notoriousmrsebbs00pine)
Pinero, Arthur Wing, Sir, 1855-1934
The Canadian portrait gallery (microform) (IA cihm 07404)
Dent, John Charles, 1841-1888
A private detective; the marvelous career of a notorious criminal (IA privatedetective00shea)
Shea, John D. [from old catalog]
Anecdotes of painting in England - with some account of the principal artists (IA anecdotesofpaint03walp 0)
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797 Dallaway, James, 1763-1834 Vertue, George, 1684-1756 Wornum, Ralph Nicholson, 1812-1877
Anecdotes of painting in England - with some account of the principal artists (IA anecdotesofpaint03walp 2)
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797 Dallaway, James, 1763-1834 Vertue, George, 1684-1756 Wornum, Ralph Nicholson, 1812-1877 Bromley, William, 1769-1842 Worthington, William Henry, approximately 1795-approximat
I had studied seriously up to a certain level, then I found it boring; I looked ...
rk's 1974 album, Autobahn, his use of acoustic instruments diminished. Schneider, speaking in 1991, said: "I had studied seriously up to a certain level, then I found it boring; I looked for other...
He is a sound perfectionist, so, if the sound isn't up to a certain standard, he...
tion of the latter was christened the Robovox, a distinctive feature of the Kraftwerk sound. Hütter said of Schneider's approach: "He is a sound perfectionist, so, if the sound isn't up to a certain...
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