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Trivia
Birth name: Christopher George
Letore Wallace
Date of birth: 21 May 1972
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New
York, USA
Date of death: 9 March 1997
Death details: Los Angeles,
California, USA. (homicide)
Nickname: Biggie Smalls, The King
of New York, The Black Frank White, Big Poppa
Height: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
He had a top 10 hit in the UK with "Mo
Money, Mo Problems", which featured Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs and Mase,
in August 1997. His solo song was the other top 10 success he had in the
UK later that year.
Mother and father are Jamaican. Has a son named Christopher and daughter
named T'Yonna.
Was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting. He was an MC who had
released two albums before his death, plus another released
posthumously.
Awarded the 1995 Billboard Magazine Award for hip-hop artist of the
year.
Despite being one of the most popular and well-known artists in the
hip-hop industry, he only saw one album released while alive. He
recorded and released "Ready to Die" in 1994. He recorded his
sophomore album, "Life After Death" while alive. but it was
released a mere two weeks after his murder in March of 1997. "Born
Again" was released in December 1999, nearly three years after his
death. The album featured unreleased songs as well as remixes of old
songs, some featuring other rap and R&B artists.
Could not be billed officially as "Biggie Smalls" because
someone else trademarked the name "Biggy Smalls" years before.
Thus he became The Notorious B.I.G.
He also made a little known song with Michael Jackson, entitled
"This Time Around."
Married his wife 9 days after meeting her!
Released a song called "Who Shot Ya?" just after Tupac Shakur
was shot. Although Wallace insisted the song was recorded before the
shooting and had nothing to do with it, Shakur saw it differently. As
such, 2Pac released one of the most bitter, vindictive, and ingenious
hip-hop answer records ever, called "Hit em up," which despite
its violent background, was very popular.
Got his nickname Biggie Smalls' from the gangster character played by
Calvin Lockhart in the film Let's Do It Again (1975).
Frequently referred to himself as "Frank White" in his raps.
This name was taken from the drug lord character played by Christopher
Walken in the film King of New York (1990).
Unlike Tupac
Shakur, Biggie never got a chance to star or appear in a
movie, but he was confined to music videos and an early episode of New
York Undercover. He was writing a screenplay at the time of his death.
Was in fact originally good friends with Tupac
Shakur. He would call
Tupac, 'Duke' and Tupac would call him 'Christopher'. However when Tupac
was shot five times and robbed by gang members linked to Biggie's Bad
Boy records, the two had a fatal falling out.
Ironically on the night he got shot, he was in California for the Soul
Train Music awards, so he could promote peace between east and west.
However when on stage, he got booed by the Californian crowd (a response
to the Shakur murder, the previous year) and an embarrassed Biggie left
the stage. He was killed hours later
During his early years, he opened for Tupac Shakur on shows. He
impressed Shakur for his ability to flow his rhymes right on the beat.
His clothing line, Brooklyn Mint, was
launched in 1996. He also had plans to open a fast food chain called
"Big Poppa's" which was going to be served in his old
neighborhood 24 hours a day.
Attended the same Brooklyn high school as
Jay-z and Busta
Rhymes.
His posthumous album, Life After Death, is
certified Diamond. This means it sold more than 10 million copies.
His first recording deal was with Uptown
Records in 1993.
B.I.G. stands for "Business Instead of
Game".
Weighs over 400 Pounds
Was Rapping for only 2 years when signed
Died exactly one year after George Burns.
Attended George Westinghouse High School in
Brooklyn, New York, With fellow rappers Jay-Z
and Busta
Rhymes.
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