Notorious B.I.G.
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The family of The Notorious B.I.G. has struck a deal with Primary Wave Music for the late MC’s catalog and more.
As reported by Variety, the estate of Biggie Smalls has partnered with the music giant in an agreement that includes his publishing rights, master recordings, image, name and likeness. This would allow the agency to negotiate on the estate’s behalf and leverage the assets so The Notorious B.I.G.’s legacy lives on via strategic placements and arrangements.
While terms of the deal have not been publicly disclosed, the Wall Street Journal reports that Primary Wave Music is acquiring 50% into the estate, which the business magazine estimates being valued at $200 million dollars. In the feature, WSJ details the late Voletta Wallace’s journey to organize Biggie’s affairs ever since his passing in 1997, which included negotiating a higher split from Bad Boy Entertainment for his music publishing.
“The estate and Primary Wave will collaborate on all business moving forward in an effort to continue the incredible and innovative work done thus far with one goal in mind, to keep the legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. alive,” a press release reads. According to the Hollywood Reporter B.I.G.’s former management team Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow will represent the estate. Voletta Wallace passed away Feb. 21 at the age 78.
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It has been 28 years since the Notorious B.I.G.’s life was tragically cut short at just 24 years old. Since then, and to many even before, the Brooklyn MC has been deemed the greatest rapper of all time, and the continued adulation of his music is a testament to that claim.
While Biggie Smalls masterfully commanded the streets and the clubs with his music, his chart topping singles like “Juicy,” “One More Chance (Stay with Me Remix)” and “Mo Money Mo Problems” cemented him as a mainstream success. But it’s a fair argument to say that it’s his album cuts, those records that buoy a project and are what’s needed to deem an album a classic that truly cemented his legacy.
No video or fancy marketing behind the record, just bars and beats. The stuff that had fans hitting the rewind button over and over and making an ugly face. You know the vibes.
So with the spirit of the Notorious B.I.G. in mind, here’s a list of his 9 best album cuts. A lot of these should have been singles, with videos and all that, if we keep it a bean.
1. “Who Shot Ya?”
This is the song many thought at Tupac after the infamous Quad Studios shooting, but BIG and Junior Mafia always insisted it was not. The sinister beat cooked up by Nashiem Myrick from David Porter’s “I’m Afraid the Masquerade Is Over” was the perfect backdrop for the menacing lyrics. Technically, it was an unreleased b-side to the “Big Poppa/Warning” single but was added to subsequent posthumous, “remastered” releases of Biggie’s Ready To Die debut.
2. Junior M.A.F.I.A. – “Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A.” ft. Notorious B.I.G
The Notorious B.I.G. managed to put on his own Junior Mafia crew, and set them up with a record label, Undeas, via Atlantic Records. Biggie bats clean up on this song produced by the late, great DJ Clark Kent. Keep in mind that save for Jamal, it sounds like he wrote all the lyrics. Yes, he was that great. “Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A.” is from the Conspiracy album that dropped in August 1995, a little less than year after B.I.G.’s own debut album.
3. “The What” ft. Method Man
Notorious BIG and Method Man was gold off the rip. And if you were in NYC when BIG debut dropped,this was the track you heard on the streets. Wu-Tang Clan was asserting themselves and insisted on keeping their ranks tights, but Method Man snuck out and dropped an absolute heater with the same guy Rae and Ghost would accuse of being a shark biter.
4. “Gimme The Loot”
If you don’t know, Easy Moe Bee produced this track along with a healthy chunk of Ready To Die. The Notorious BIG got his Slick Rick on by rapping with dual personalities and going as far saying he would even rob a pregnant woman. Yes, it was all just for the sake of rap and kind of heinous, but damn it was good.
5. “Kick In The Door”
Jeru The Damaja allegedly sent sublimals to the Notorious BIG. DJ Premier was good money with both men. But that didn’t stop Premo from producing “Kick In The Door” whose line, “Son, I’m surprised you run with themI think they got cum in them, ’cause they nothin’ but dicks,” was aimed at Jeru and Premier. Damn, son.
6. “Just Playing (Dreams)”
The story goes that “Just Playing (Dreams)” was a promo single that featured Biggie Smalls wittily (that’s a nice way to put it) rapping about bedding famed female R&B singers. He wanted it on his album, but word was Patti Labelle (who was on an affiliated label) was not happy, and that was that on that. Time must heal, because years later it made it only remastered albums.
7. “I Got A Story To Tell”
If someone asks you if Notorious BIG was a great storyteller, play this song. We got word years ago that it was allegedly Anthony Mason who got caught up in the real life caper, rest in peace. The flow, the groove (via Buckwild and Chucky Thompson), and comedy (a rained out basketball game?!), all flawless. What a time.
8. “Ten Crack Commandments”
The Notorious B.I.G. on the bars, DJ Premier on the beat and Chuck D (via a scratch vocal sample) on the hook. What’s not to like. You also have Biggie dropping bars that any illicit pharmaceutical distributor trying to not get caught up should live by. Biggie taught ya.
9. “Notorious Thugs”
There is a reason Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were so unique in their style—that cadence is difficult as hell. But Notorious B.I.G. was such a talented MC he managed to keep up, not an easy feat, and it managed to be one of the hardest records on Life After Death. Respect.
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Source: ROSIE MARKS / ROSIE MARKS courtesy of Versace
Even decades after his untimely passing The Notorious B.I.G. continues to influence fashion. Versace’s newest eyewear campaign is inspired by the later rapper’s signature shades.
As per High Snobiety, the Italian luxury brand has launched a new collection of lenses inspired by The Notorious B.I.G.’s go-to sunglasses. Aptly called the “Biggie,” these frames replicate the pair that Big Poppa frequently wore during his career. In the “One More Chance” video he is spotted wearing the Versace 424 Col 852 model and the Versace 413A model in the “Hypnotize” video. He would also be frequently seen with the Versace T75, which did not feature the label’s Medusa emblem but rather the Greca branding on the temples.
Donatella Versace explained the brand’s approach to the new collection in a statement. “From Notorious B.I.G. to the extraordinary talent of today, the Biggie community are rebels, groundbreakers, and champions of the true Versace spirit,” she said. Versace has enlisted the talents of musician Sabrina Carpenter and NBA center Alexandre Sarr to bring the new collection to life. Included in the this drop are new color ways, both for sun and optical purposes. The Washington Wizards taken explained why working with Versace on the rollout made so much sense to him. “I’ve seen Biggie sunglasses worn by everyone — my NBA teammates, friends I’ve made across the globe, business guys and kids playing basketball in the yard. Biggies are for anyone who wants to give and take a bit more from life.”
You can shop the new Biggie eyewear collection here.
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Get ready New Yorkers. Now that Timberland boot season is upon us, Timberland is preparing to release an exclusive version of their classic construction silhouette that will be paying homage to the first anointed king of New York’s rap scene, The Notorious B.I.G.
According to Nice Kicks, Timberland will be collaborating with the estate of the late-great Notorious B.I.G. to drop a boot that pays tribute to the legendary rapper as they look to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of his debut album, Ready To Die. This is the latest footwear brand to pay homage to Big Poppa as not too long ago Jordan Brand released an ultra-limited edition Biggie version of the Air Jordan 13 that basically no one was able to cop.
While these boots are sure to have limited stock available, Biggie fans will at least have a chance to cop when the boots release on Sept. 27 exclusively at Foot Locker stores.
Nice Kicks reports:
Biggie’s relationship with Timberland also reflected the broader cultural trends of hip-hop embracing workwear and street-ready attire. The boots, originally designed for manual labor, became an iconic piece of fashion in urban culture, thanks in part to Biggie’s influence.
Biggie’s frequent use of the boots and his lyricism embracing the 6-inch boot helped shape how the brand was perceived, turning them into a symbol of authenticity and toughness in the world of rap and street culture.
Biggie did love himself some Timberland construction boots. Just look at his music videos and photo shoots.
Still no official images on how the boot will look and what kind of details it will have showing it’s related to Biggie, but best believe OG Hip-Hoppers and Biggie fanatics will surely be looking to cop a pair when they release.
Will you be copping a pair of Biggie Timbs? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Marvel / Marvel
A few years ago, Marvel surprised comic book fans and Hip-Hop heads alike when they dropped a variant cover for Deadpool No.1, which featured the legendary Notorious B.I.G. Now, they’ll once again be calling on Big Poppa to grace another variant cover for the Merc with a Mouth.
For the upcoming issue to Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII No. 3, the Black Frank White will once again be visiting the Marvel universe as Deadpool and Wolverine go toe-to-toe. Drawn up by Salvador Larroca, the special variant cover to the issue is available on Hustl.agency and is limited to just 3,000 copies, with an extra special spotlight virgin variant limited to just 1,000 pieces.
In a press release for the special edition comic, we get a quick explanation behind Biggie’s second appearance in the world of Marvel comic books:
The Notorious B.I.G. returns to Marvel Comics as the undisputed mayoral figure of Brooklyn. On his streets, he plays the diplomatic peacemaker, living out his iconic lyrics, “Spread Love, It’s the Brooklyn Way.” In Biggie’s second variant cover appearance, he comes back to break up the animosity between Deadpool and Wolverine on the very streets he helped build. Although Biggie is not in the story or series, the special variant cover is a limited-edition collectible issue.
If anyone can tame the likes of Wolverine while matching the wits of Deadpool, it’s Biggie.
Check out pics of the variant cover to Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII No. 3 above, and let us know if you’ll be picking up a copy in the comments section.
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When Biggie Smalls asked, “What’s Beef?” he posed the question at the height of the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry, which would ultimately result in the death of the Brooklyn MC—as well as Tupac Shakur.
But, does beef always have to end in death? Most Hip-Hop fans would hope not. The very nature of the culture is competitive, and rivalries can be thrilling and entertaining when they stay on wax.
The recent rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has been one of those quarrels that has reenergized the culture and entertained Hip-Hop fans in a way not seen in years.
SlotsUp online casino and Media Lab Insights recently prepared and shared statistics that detail the legacy of rap beef—by breaking the statistics and songs into eras which are marked by a major event.
“These timelines were used to better understand the development of conflicts, success, and the demand for performance in the hip-hop industry,” the report notes. “Their comparison is focused on three main points: the technical aspect (the average tempo of the tracks (which can be calculated by the amount of bars, and the length), the profitability (the amount of platinum albums), and the risks involved (death rate).”
Researchers at SlotsUp commented on the study. “Until our current era, the more beef was around, the more successful the artists were. Our current era is going against this pattern, with the same amount of deaths and diss tracks as the first era, but with more platinum albums. Over the years, Hip-Hop became less technically demanding, especially after 2004. This study shows that conflicts aren’t always profitable, and violence can be avoided.”
The first era was marked by what the researchers called “The Roxanne Wars” in the mid-1980s. Two of the most significant songs were “Roxanne, Roxanne” and “Roxanne’s Revenge.” However, cultural commentators say that there were up to 30 songs related to the beef. The only major death to come out of that era was Scott La Rock—whose murder has not been directly attributed to the beef. The clear winner of this battle was Roxanne Shante, who went on to a lengthy career and is credited as one of the foundational female MC’s.
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The second era was one of the most deadly. Lasting from 1992 to 1997, the beef sparked the true rise of the diss track. The research shows that diss tracks and deaths more than doubled while platinum albums skyrocketed to 35. The era saw 10 deaths, with three being the most prominent—Eazy E, 2Pac, and The Notorious B.I.G. The winner of this era could be seen as the recently disgraced Sean “Diddy” Combs as his Bad Boy imprint saw some of its biggest success following the death of B.I.G. This era also marked Hip-Hop’s biggest foray into the pop genre with an increase in record sales that would last for more than a decade—before the proliferation of streaming.
The third era, lasting from 1998-2004, featured the beef between Jay-Z and Nas. This era was also the most financially successful with more than 50 platinum albums. “Eminem was significant in this era,” as the study shows that the Detroit rapper released nine diss tracks. The winner of this era continues to be debated. However, the culture benefited from the end of the beef with Jay and Nas making several concert appearances together.
Source: Bethany Mollenkof / Getty
The fourth era: 2005-2008, is one largely of peace—kicked off by the end of the beef between Jay-Z and Nas—two New York rap titans. Also worth noting is the average length of rap songs would begin to get shorter with many getting under the 4-minute mark. The fifth era from 2009-2012, was marked by the release of Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. It would be the second era that Eminem would be involved in numerous beefs including with Benzino and Mariah Carey. It was during this era that beef would escalate in southern states with one significant death being that of Slim Dunkin.
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Era number six was from 2013 to 2019. The most significant beef was between Drake and Meek Mill. However, the two would eventually collaborate (again, since they were cool prior to Meek’s Twitter fingers) on “Going Bad.” This era is also marked by continued financial success with more than 40 platinum albums. The murder of Nipsey Hussle would mark the end of this era.
Our current era began with the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the entire world but also highlighted the significance of “beef,” with the good-natured but often tense musical battles as part of the Verzuz series. But without question, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” is thus far the most powerful diss song of the era—but whether or not it’s over is still up for debate, and Drake. Fortunately, K. Dot did his victory lap by bringing gang members together on one stage as a show of unity at the conclusion of his pop out concert on Juneteenth.
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Source: dream hampton / It Was All a Dream
One of the culture’s literary pioneers is sharing her journey with the world. dream hampton has released the trailer to her new documentary, It Was All A Dream.
As exclusively reported by Variety, the esteemed writer is going into her personal archives for her newest endeavor. This week, Hampton released the trailer to her forthcoming film and she makes it clear she was really moving and shaking during Rap’s golden era. In the 90-second clip we see footage of her interacting with the likes of the late great Notorious B.I.G., Method Man, Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip, Ice-T, Mobb Deep and more.
In it she narrates each piece of archival footage in relation to the original writing assignment that featured the respective talent. Hampton detailed how the project came about in a formal statement. “Last summer, I was moving my daughter across the country and found two boxes of footage I forgot I had and spent the last few months making this film,” she explained. She would also reveal that Notorious B.I.G.’s son, CJ Wallace, was the first person to see the film and encouraged him to be one of the executive producers. “I named it It Was All a Dream not because of my name or ‘Juicy,’ but because of the golden haze that has cloaked this era.”
dream hampton has written for multiple publications and once served as the Chief Editor at The Source magazine. You can watch the trailer below.
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Music by The Notorious B.I.G. and Slick Rick are among those on this year’s selections list for the National Recording Registry.
On Tuesday (April 16), the National Recording Registry announced its list of inductees for 2024, and music from The Notorious B.I.G. and Slick Rick are included. The registry, which the Library of Congress administers, picked the late rapper’s debut album Ready to Die from 1994 to be among the list of 25 inductees for the year along with the Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh classic 1985 hit “La-Di-Da-Di”.
“The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in her statement announcing the news. “We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation with our partners this year, including a wide range of music from the past 100 years, as well as comedy. We were thrilled to receive a record number of public nominations and we welcome the public’s input on what we should preserve next.” This year’s list now brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 650.
The inclusion of Ready to Die speaks to the significance of The Notorious B.I.G.’s impact not only on Hip-Hop but on American music culture overall, with its gritty and powerful lyricism backed by timeless production capturing life in the eyes of the Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn native. “La-Di-Da-Di”, which was first released as a B-side where Slick Rick was billed as MC Ricky D, is one of Hip-Hop’s most influential songs – according to the Library of Congress, it has been referenced in over 1,000 other songs and recordings.
Other songs and albums that were on this year’s list include Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, Bill Withers’ “Aint No Sunshine”, and Blondie’s Parallel Lines album along with Green Day’s Dookie album and ABBA’s Arrival album. The Library of Congress said it had received 2,889 nominations from the general public for this year’s list, which is a record for the institution. Nominations for the 2025 list can be submitted by October 1 through their website.
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It seems there is more to learn about 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.’s story. Busta Rhymes reveals that a popular Biggie Smalls verse was actually going at Pac.
As spotted on Vibe, the Rap legend recently paid a visit to the All The Smoke podcast. While the “Touch It” MC discussed a variety of topics, ranging from his storied career to current events, it was a story he told about a studio session with B.I.G. that has since gone viral. Back in the mid-’90s Busta Rhymes was aiming to secure Biggie, Method Man and Nas as features on one song. While the track didn’t come together like how he originally intended, it birthed a very memorable performance by the King of New York.
“So there’s a song in the middle of the Biggie and 2Pac beef and he [Biggie] recorded the verse in my studio session. At the time I thought it would be brilliant to have these three MC’s on a J Dilla beat. I think B.I.G. just got into the car accident with [Lil’] Cease and his leg was messed up and the elevator wasn’t working,” Busta explained. “I got to Soundtracks [on] the third day. Elevators fine,” Busta continues. “Big and [Lil’] Cease come. They pull up. Meth and Nas came two days in a row now. No Biggie. So, they was not coming on the third day.”
The former Leaders of the New School member would go on to detail seeing B.I.G.’s creative process for the first time ever. “One hour, two hours; he just smoking. He ain’t writing nothing. About three hours in I’m like ‘My ni**a you ain’t going to do this verse my ni**a?’ That ni**a said, ‘I’m ready Buss.’”
Busta Rhymes would go on to recite the verse and emphasize the lines directed at 2Pac via his cadence and pitch. “Diamonds on my neck, chrome drop-top / Chillin’ on the scene, smoking pounds of green / Oooh-wee, you see, the ugliest / Money-hungriest, Brooklyn Loch Ness / Nine millimeter cock test, wan fi’ test? / And the winner is, not that thinner kid / Bandanas, tattoos, my fists never bruise / Land still cruise.”
At the time, Bus was good friends with 2Pac thus he told B.I.G. he would not be releasing the song. Years later, the verse would reappear on the posthumous Notorious B.I.G. album Born Again on “Dangerous MC’s.” You can hear the original verse below.
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The memory of the Notorious B.I.G. still looms large in the borough of Brooklyn so whenever a mural pops up paying homage to the OG King of New York, Brooklynites hold the art in high regard.
Unfortunately the owners of a newly open cannabis dispensary in Bushwick, Brooklyn weren’t too aware of what a mural of baby Biggie meant to the neighborhood, so when they were forced to paint over the decorated wall to comply with city regulations, the outcry was loud and swift. According to ABC7, the CEO of Emerald Dispensary, Christina de Giovanni, part of the deal to get a license to sell marijuana in the gentrified neighborhood was to cover up the three-year-old Biggie mural. And while she didn’t want to take such actions, she felt she had to in order to comply with city regulations.
Per ABC7:
“This was not on our radar, and we tried, we did not want to cover this up at all,” said Christina de Giovanni, CEO of Emerald Dispensary. “We love this mural from the minute we moved into this building, and we had artwork done on the front of the building and along the side, we all agreed we’re not touching this big mural. We love this. This stays.”
Initially, it didn’t quite work out that way. The iconic childhood mural of Biggie, that went up three years ago in Bushwick where the Emerald Dispensary is now open for business, was covered up with black removable graffiti before it opened its doors last week.
“We were following the regulations,” Giovanni said. “We had a state inspection a couple weeks ago, and so prior to that, we had been speaking to a compliance officer and we were aware of the regulations in regards to exterior artwork. And so, we covered it up because we thought that we were in compliance. We thought that that is what needed to happen to be in compliance.”
Naturally the neighborhood residents who’ve grown found of the artwork that artist Huetek blessed the neighborhood with years ago took issue with the move. Things got so heated that the owner was allegedly hit with death threats over the decision to black out the Biggie mural. Thankfully no one was actually physically harmed and after hearing the public outcry from the neighborhood residents, the OCM decided the mural could stay as they saw how much it meant to the good people of Bushwick, Brooklyn.
A decision that Emerald Dispensary co-owner, Roman Roman says left him elated.
“I’m just happy that we were able to get this, you know, over with,” he told ABC7.
We’re just happy the memory of Biggie continues to live in the most thorough of boroughs.