Ready to Die

Year Released: 1994
Certification: 4x Platinum
Label: Bad Boy Entertainment
Guest Stars: Method Man; Total; Diana King


Life After Death

Year Released: 1997
Certification: Diamond (10 Million)
Label: Bad Boy Entertainment
Guest Stars: R. Kelly; Lil' Kim; Jay-Z; DMC; Angela Winbush; Too Short; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony; The Lox; Puff Daddy; 112


Born Again

Year Released: 1999
Certification: 2x Platinum
Label: Bad Boy Enternment
Guest Stars: Puff Daddy, Busta Rhymes, Lauryn Hill, DMX, Nas, Method Man, Redman, Lil' Kim, Faith, Too Short, K-Ci, JoJo, Sadat X, Ice Cube, Shyne, G-Dep, Mark Curry, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Hot Boys & Big Timer, Craig Mack, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, G-Dep, Lil' Cease, Mobb Deep, Joe Hooker, Black Rob, Beanie Sigel, Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Notorious B.I.G. (AKA Biggie Smalls) took the hip-hop world by storm with his shoot 'em up lyrics and hard as nails delivery, and had become one of the most respected rappers in the game when he was fatally gunned down in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 9, 1997. Already a household name in the hip-hop community due to the massive success of his debut, Ready To Die, B.I.G. was on the brink of pop superstardom with his follow up Life After Death. Having launched the careers of several other rap success stories, including Lil' Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Faith Evans, Biggie was seen as a father figure to many, despite his young age, and earned the title of his hit single, "Big Poppa."

Born Christopher Wallace and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Notorious B.I.G. first gained notoriety by being featured in the "Unsigned Hype" column in The Source after Mister Cee from Big Daddy Kane's crew passed his demo tape along to the magazine. The song made it to their 1992 compilation album, and before long, soon-to-be rap mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs (AKA Puff Daddy) heard the tape and signed him to his new Uptown distributed label Bad Boy. B.I.G. first made waves by appearing on a remix of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love," and a slew of appearances on songs by Super Cat, Da Brat, Craig Mack, red hot lover Tone, and Eddie F & the Untouchables. He also released the underground single "Dreams," and had a song featured on the Who's The Man? soundtrack, called "Party And Bullshit." Finally, in the fall of 1994, B.I.G. released his much anticipated debut Ready To Die. The album was an instant success and launched two huge smash singles "Juicy" and "Big Poppa." The lyrics blended graphic tales of Mafia-style street violence, and emotional testimonials to his loved ones, in a style only comparable to his West Coast counterpart/rival, Tupac Shakur. His success spread like gunfire, as he launched his younger spin-off group Junior M.A.F.I.A., oversaw the career of girlfriends/R&B divas Faith Evans and Lil' Kim, and appeared with Total, R. Kelly, and even, Michael Jackson. All the while, B.I.G. was embroidered in a hailstorm of controversy beginning in May of 1995, when he was arrested in an incident involving the assault and robbery of a New Jersey club owner. A year later, he was arrested on assault charges in New York, and possession of marijuana in Brooklyn. Later that year, he and members of Junior M.A.F.I.A. were arrested in New Jersey on guns and drug possession charges. The always headline-making rap star was also involved in a heated rivalry with West Coast legend Tupac Shakur that surrounded an alleged affair with Faith Evans, and resulted in several fights, mudslinging in the press, and his rumored involvement in Shakur's death. After many months of work amidst a sea of rumors and controversy, B.I.G. was finally set to release his follow up album, the ironically titled Life After Death, when he was brutally shot down in front of a Soul Train after-party in Los Angeles, CA. Notorious B.I.G. was 24 years old.

Like the death of Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G.'s untimely murder will cast a dark shadow over the hip-hop nation for a long time. Biggie Smalls was a strong presence in rap music and will always be remembered as someone who gave more than he took. He launched many careers and made many people famous in his mission to spread his good fortune and wealth around. He is said to have been a funny, caring man underneath all the violence and rage displayed in his music. Never one to shy away from controversy, Notorious B.I.G. was notorious indeed.

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