 Wallace in 1998 | |
| Born | 21 May 1972 (age 52) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.A. |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1992-present |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer, songwriter, musician |
| Genre | Hip-hop, rap, gangsta rap, East Coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop, horrorcore rap, emo-rap, G-funk |
| Associated acts |
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Christopher George Latore Wallace (born May 21, 1972), also known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls or simply Biggie, is an American rapper and songwriter who performs the genres of hip-hop, rap and horrorcore rap. 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 the lyrics' often grim content. His music is often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of debauchery and celebration.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Wallace signed to Sean "Puffy" Combs's label Bad Boy Records as it launched in 1993, and gained exposure through features on several other artists' singles that year. His debut album Ready to Die (1994) was met with widespread critical acclaim, and included his signature songs "Juicy" and "Big Poppa". The album made him the central figure in East Coast hip-hop, and restored New York's visibility at a time when the West Coast hip-hop scene was dominating hip-hop music. Wallace was awarded the 1995 Billboard Music Awards' Rapper of the Year. The following year, he led his protégé group Junior M.A.F.I.A., a team of himself and longtime friends, including Lil Kim, to chart success.
Wallace continued to released albums into the 2000s along with fellow collaborator and rapper Tupac Shakur. While Shakur pursued an acting career in 2009, Wallace collaborated with fellow rapper Jay-Z in making the album Watch the Throne, including the song ''N***** in Paris'' in 2011.
Discography[]
- Ready to Die (1994)
- Life After Death (1997)
- Born Again (1999)
- Duets: The Final Chapter (2005)
- To Be (2008)
- Wise (2010)
- Gunsmoke (2015)
- The King & I (feat. Faith Evans) (2017)
- Jokes (2019)
- Me Against the City (2023)
Singles[]
- Party and Bullshit (Who's the Man?) (1993)
- Juicy (Ready to Die) (1994)
- Big Poppa (Ready to Die) (1994)
- One More Chance (1995)
- Hypnotize (Life After Death) (1997)
- Mo Money Mo Problems (Life After Death) (1997)
- Going Back to Cali (Life After Death) (1997)
- Notorious B.I.G. (Born Again) (1999)
- Dead Wrong (feat. Tupac Shakur) (Born Again) (2000)
- Nasty Girl (feat. P Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Avery Storm and Jazze Pha) (Duets: The Final Chapter) (2005)
- Spit Your Game (feat. Twista, Krayzie Bone, Swizz Beatz, 8 Ball and MJG) (Duets: The Final Chapter) (2006)
- Split (To Be) (2008)
- I (Wise) (2010)
- Choking (Gunsmoke) (2015)
- NYC (feat. Faith Evans and Jadakiss) (The King & I) (2017)
- Legacy (feat. Faith Evans) (The King & I) (2017)
- Forgot (Jokes) (2019)
- G.O.A.T. (feat. Ty Dolla Sign and Bella Alubo) (2022)
- Goal (Me Against the City) (2023)