The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G.
Wallace in 1997
Born	Christopher George Latore Wallace (1972-05-21)May 21, 1972 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Died	March 9, 1997(1997-03-09) (aged 24) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Drive-by homicide (gunshot wound)
Other names	Biggie Smalls Biggie Big Frank White Big Poppa MC CWest
Occupations	Rapper songwriter
Years active	1992–1997
Spouse	Faith Evans ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2, including C. J.
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	East Coast hip-hop gangsta rap
Labels	Bad Boy Atlantic Arista Uptown
Musical artist
Signature

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), known by the stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls,^[1] and Biggie,^[2] was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene 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 usually semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality but also of debauchery and celebration.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Wallace was the first artist to sign with Sean "Puffy" Combs's Bad Boy Records in 1993. That same year, he gained recognition for his guest appearances on other artists' singles. His debut studio album, Ready to Die (1994), received widespread critical acclaim and included signature tracks "Juicy" and "Big Poppa". This album made him the central figure in East Coast hip-hop, helping to restore New York's prominence at a time when the West Coast was dominating the genre. In 1995, Wallace was named Rapper of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. That same year, Wallace and his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.—which included longtime friends like Lil' Kim—released their debut album, Conspiracy (1995).

While working on his second album in 1996, he became embroiled in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip-hop feud. After Tupac Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996, rumors circulated suggesting that criminal elements connected to the Bad Boy camp might have been involved, given Wallace's public feud with Shakur. On March 9, 1997, six months after Shakur's death, Wallace was also killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles by an unknown assailant. Two weeks later, his second album, Life After Death (1997), was issued as a posthumous double album; it debuted atop the Billboard 200, yielded two Billboard Hot 100-number one singles: "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money Mo Problems" (featuring Puff Daddy and Mase), and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

With two posthumous albums released, Wallace's certified U.S. sales exceed 28 million copies, including 21 million albums. Rolling Stone called him the "greatest rapper that ever lived" in 2012,^[3] and, in 2015, Billboard named him the greatest rapper of all time.^[4] The Source magazine named him the greatest rapper of all time in its 150th issue. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, calling him possibly "the most skillful ever on the mic".^[5] In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.