The Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was born on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York City. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where he experienced a challenging childhood marked by poverty and crime.

Despite these hardships, he developed a passion for music and began rapping as a teenager. His talent quickly caught the attention of Sean "Puffy" Combs, who signed him to his newly formed Bad Boy Records in 1993.

His debut album, "Ready to Die," released in 1994, was a critical and commercial success, featuring hit singles like "Juicy" and "Big Poppa." The album established him as a central figure in East Coast hip hop, helping to restore New York's prominence in the genre at a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the mainstream.

Full Name	The Notorious B.I.G.
Nick Name(s)	Biggie Smalls, Biggie, Big Frank White, Big Poppa, MC CWest
Other Name	Christopher George Latore Wallace
Gender	Male
Occupation	Rapper/Songwriter
Date of Birth	21-May-1972 (24 years)
Birth Year	1972
Birth Location	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Death Time	09-March-1997
Death Location	Los Angeles, California, U.S.

His lifestyle was a mix of glamour and struggle. He enjoyed the trappings of fame, including expensive cars, jewelry, and lavish parties, but he also faced ongoing legal issues and the pressures of the music industry.

His personal life was marked by relationships with several women, including Faith Evans, whom he married in 1994. The couple had one child together, Christopher Jordan Wallace, born in 1996. Wallace's life was tragically cut short on March 9, 1997, when he was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at the age of 24.

His death came just six months after the murder of his friend and rival, Tupac Shakur, and it further intensified the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry.

His second album, "Life After Death," was released posthumously in 1997 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album included hit singles like "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money Mo Problems," and it received diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

His influence on hip hop is undeniable, and he is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Rolling Stone named him the "greatest rapper that ever lived" in 2012, and Billboard named him the greatest rapper of all time in 2015.

His career was marked by numerous awards and accolades. He won several Billboard Music Awards, including Rapper of the Year in 1995, and he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

Some of his most iconic songs include "Juicy," "Big Poppa," "Hypnotize," "Mo Money Mo Problems," and "One More Chance." These tracks not only showcased his lyrical prowess but also helped to define the sound of 1990s gangsta rap.

His music has influenced countless artists, and his legacy lives on through his timeless hits.