“It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine
Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin’ pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock ’til my tape popped
Smokin’ weed in Bambu, sippin’ on Private Stock
Way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
With the hat to match
Remember Rappin’ Duke? Duh-ha, duh-ha …
Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls was murdered on this day in 1997.
Born and raised in New York City, The Notorious B.I.G. became a central figure in East Coast hip hop early in his musical career, with his debut album Ready to Die (1994), increasing New York City’s visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast hip hop dominated the mainstream. The album is considered by many to one of the greatest albums of all time, and has been certified multi-platinum. This dude was the real deal. I’m old school and when rap came out I didn’t like it. In the beginning the West coast rap was all anybody heard. It was nasty, vulgar and demeaning. It glorified the worst in us. Black women became bitches and hoes and young black men dreamed of becoming gangsters and thugs. Do anything for a Benjamin and cap the first mfer that showed anything viewed as disrespect. Shit, they was killing people for stepping on their toes. It was totally wack. Throw in crack and you lost a generation.
Then this big dude from Brooklyn broke out, taking rap in a new direction. His first album, “Ready To Die, was released to critical acclaim and became a commercial success, achieving Gold certification. In 1995, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[ and has since reached a certified 6x platinum with sales. The album’s second single “Big Poppa” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Ready to Die has been regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums, as well as one of the best albums of all time. My personal favorite “Juicy,” was Biggie’s first single and I wanna tell you, every body I knew had a copy and everybody knew the words. Its been almost 25 years since its release and that song can still light a fire at any function. The song is considered by Rolling Stone, The Source and About.com as one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. In 1994 “Juicy Fruit” was on fire and its still burning!!
On March 9, 1997, at 12:30 a.m., Wallace left with his entourage in two Chevrolet Suburbans to return to his hotel after the Los Angeles Fire Department closed the party early because of overcrowding. Wallace traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates Damion “D-Roc” Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil’ Cease, and driver Gregory “G-Money” Young. Combs traveled in the other vehicle with three bodyguards. The two SUVs were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy Records’ director of security.
By 12:45 a.m., the streets were crowded with people leaving the event. Wallace’s SUV stopped at a red light on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue just 50 yards from the museum. A dark-colored Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace’s SUV. The driver of the Impala, a black male dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the Suburban; four bullets hit Wallace.[ Wallace’s entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency thoracotomy, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. He was 24 years old.
His autopsy was released to the public in December 2012, fifteen years after his death. According to the report, three of the four shots were not fatal. The first bullet hit his left forearm and traveled down to his wrist; the second hit him in the back, missing all vital organs, and exited through his left shoulder; and the third hit his left thigh and exited through his inner thigh. The report said that the third bullet struck “the left side of the scrotum, causing a very shallow, 3⁄8 inch linear laceration.” The fourth bullet was fatal, entering through his right hip and striking several vital organs, including his colon, liver, heart, and the upper lobe of his left lung, before stopping in his left shoulder area. Wallace’s death was mourned by fellow hip hop artists and fans worldwide. Rapper Nas felt at the time of Wallace’s death that his passing, along with that of Tupac Shakur, “was nearly the end of rap.”
In 2006, Wallace’s mother, Voletta Wallace; his widow, Faith Evans and his children, T’yanna Jackson and Christopher Jordan Wallace (CJ) filed a $400 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department alleging that corrupt LAPD officers were responsible for Wallace’s murder. Retired LAPD Officer Greg Kading alleged that Marion “Suge” Knight, the head of Death Row Records, hired fellow Blood gang member Wardell “Poochie” Fouse to murder Wallace and paid Poochie $13,000. He also alleged that Theresa Swan, the mother of Knight’s child, was also involved in the murder, and was paid $25,000 to set up meetings both before and after the shooting took place. In 2003, Poochie himself was murdered in a drive-by by rival gang members. Knight is currently serving a 28 year sentence for manslaughter. Swan testified against Knight at the trial and has alluded to his involvement in Biggies murder. In April 2010 the wrongful death lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice.
It was a hell of a day when they announced Biggie was killed on the West Coast. Just six months earlier another giant of rap was gunned downed. Tupac Shakur was killed in Las Vegas September 13,1996. We thought for sure there was going to be some kinda beef between the East Coast and West Coast. There was talked but it never happened. Biggie Smalls was a once in a life time talent. There will never be another like him and if you don’t know, now you know.
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