Christopher George Latore Wallace, who went by the stage name “The Notorious B.I.G.” or “Biggie Smalls,” was a famous American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Brooklyn, New York, United States of America. He was shot and killed on March 8, 1997, in a drive-by homicide. To learn more about him, please keep reading because the information below has everything you need to know about him, including his wiki, bio, net worth, age, death, career, family, education, and more.
Early Life
Christopher George Latore Wallace, famously known as Notorious B.I.G., was born on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, under the zodiac sign Taurus, with the nationality of American and of black descent. He was born to Voletta Wallace, a preschool teacher, and Selwyn George Latore, a welder and politician. When he was two years old, his father abandoned the family, forcing his mother to work two jobs to support him.
Wallace grew up at 226 St. James Place in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill, near the border with Bedford-Stuyvesant. In middle school, he excelled at Queen of All Saints Middle School, where he earned numerous honors for English. He went to the same high school as rappers Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and D.M.X., which was Westinghouse Career and Technical High School. Wallace began dealing drugs at the age of 12. He dropped out of school at age 17 and got deeper into drug dealing.
In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years’ probation. Later in 1990, he was arrested again for violating his probation. The following year, Wallace was again taken into police custody on charges of dealing crack cocaine in North Carolina. He spent nine months in jail before he got bailed out.
Career
After he got out of prison, he used the name “Biggie Smalls” to record a demo called “Microphone Murderer.” The editor of Source got the tape in the end and wrote about Biggie in the “Unsigned Hype” column. Sean “Puffy” Combs, an A&R representative/producer at Uptown Records, also received the demo tape. Combs gave Biggie a contract and arranged for him to appear in a Heavy D & the Boyz song.
In 1993, Combs was dismissed from Uptown. His own record company, Bad Boy Records, would shortly be launched. Wallace accompanied Combs to the new business the day the label was launched. Biggie’s career took off after being featured on the remix of Mary J. Blige‘s song “Real Love.” As a featured performer on other people’s tracks, he kept finding success. Alongside L.L. Cool J and Busta Rhymes, he appeared on a remix of Craig Mack‘s “Flava in Ya Ear” in July 1994.
On September 13, 1994, Ready to Die, Biggie’s first studio album as a solo artist, was released. On the Billboard Chart, it peaked at No. 13. From the album, Big Poppa and One More Chance both had No. 1 singles. In 1995, the latter sold 1.1 million copies. Wallace won Rapper of the Year at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards. The following year, he helped Junior M.A.F.I.A., a group he helped form with longtime friends like Lil’ Kim, gain popularity. Busta Rhymes stated that he once saw Wallace distribute free copies of Ready to Die from his home to market himself and his book. Around the time of his debut album, Biggie made friends with West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Shaquille O’Neal. The song “You Can’t Stop the Reign” was produced by O’Neal and Biggie.
In September 1995, Notorious B.I.G. started work on his second album, which took 18 months to complete. He spent time in New York City, Trinidad, and Los Angeles. He collaborated with Michael Jackson on his ninth studio album, HIStory, at the same time.
In March 1996, Biggie was caught in a Manhattan nightclub after chasing and threatening to kill two fans trying to get his autograph. He received a 100-hour community service requirement. Biggie was detained for possessing both drugs and guns later that year.
When West Coast hip hop was ruling the mainstream music landscape, Biggie’s prominence dramatically increased the profile of East Coast hip hop. The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac were at the center of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop rivalry.
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Wallace was shot and killed in a drive-by on March 9, 1997, six months after Shakur’s passed away, while visiting Los Angeles. Two weeks later, Wallace’s double-album second album, Life After Death, was made available. It finally earned a diamond certification in the U.S. after peaking at number one on the Billboard 200.
Wallace had certified sales of over 28 million copies in the U.S., including 21 million albums, after releasing two more posthumous albums. Billboard named him the greatest rapper of all time, and Rolling Stone dubbed him the “greatest rapper that ever lived.” In its 150th issue, The Source magazine rated him the best rapper. He was named arguably “the most skillful ever on the mic” by MTV in 2006, who placed him third on their list of The Greatest M.C.s of All Time. He was admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Death
On March 9, 1997, Biggie was the target of a drive-by shooting outside of a Los Angeles museum, six months after Tupac was killed in the same manner. That evening at the Soul Train Music Awards, he had given Toni Braxton an award. At 12:45 a.m., he was leaving an after-party when a black Chevy Impala pulled up next to Biggie’s truck.
Wallace was hit by four bullets fired at his car by an unidentified man. Biggie was transported to Cedars-Sinai by his crew, but at 1:15 a.m., he was declared dead at 24. On March 18, 350 people attended his burial in Manhattan, among them singers Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Salt-N-Pepa, and many others. The murders of either rapper remain unsolved, and no arrests have ever been made. Theories and views on what truly happened to the two individuals are still circulating.
Quick Wiki/Bio
| Full Name | Christopher George Latore Wallace |
| Nicknames | The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie Smalls Biggie Frank White |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Rapper, Songwriter, and Record Producer |
| Age (death age) | 25 years old |
| Cause of Death | Drive-by homicide (gunshot wound) |
| Date of Death | March 9, 1997 |
| Date of Birth | May 21, 1972 |
| Place of Birth | Brooklyn, New York, United States of America |
| Hometown | Brooklyn, New York, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
Net Worth, Nominations, And Awards
- What is the net worth of The Notorious B.I.G.?
- What is the salary of The Notorious B.I.G.?
- What is the income source for The Notorious B.I.G.’s wealth?
- How many awards has The Notorious B.I.G. won?
Are you interested in finding out all the answers to the above questions? Don’t worry because this section answers the questions above, including his net worth, Source of income, nominations, salary, bonuses, awards, and more.
The Notorious B.I.G. was an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer with a net worth of $10 million at his death. He earned all his wealth through his career as a rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Besides his wealth, he won several awards in his career. Some of the awards include The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards (4x), Billboard Music Awards (3x), MTV Video Music Awards (1), Soul Train Music Awards (2x), ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards ( 3x), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Besides his awards, he was also nominated on several occasions, such as for Grammy Awards (4x), Soul Train Music Awards (3x), Black Reel Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards (2x). Billboard named him the greatest rapper of all time, and Rolling Stone dubbed him the “greatest rapper that ever lived.” In its 150th issue, The Source magazine rated him the best rapper. He was named arguably “the most skillful ever on the mic” by MTV in 2006, who ranked him third on their list of The Greatest M.C.s of All Time.
| Net Worth | $10 million (USD) |
| Salary | Unknown |
| Income | Rap, Songwriting, And Recording Producing |
| Nominations | Grammy Awards (4x) Soul Train Music Awards (3x) Black Reel Awards MTV Video Music Awards (2x) |
| Awards | The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards (4x) Billboard Music Awards (3x) MTV Video Music Awards (1) Soul Train Music Awards (2x) ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards ( 3x) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
| Genres | Hip hop Gangsta rap East Coast hip hop |
| Label | Atlantic Arista Bad Boy Uptown |
Family Background, Parents, Partner, And More
Get all the information about The Notorious B.I.G. family, including his wife, children, parents, grandparents, and more, from the table below.
| Partner | Faith Evans (m. 1994–1997) |
| Children | C. J. Wallace and T’yanna Wallace |
| Mother | Voletta Wallace |
| Father | Selwyn George Latore |
Educational Background
| Middle School | Queen of All Saints Middle School |
| High School | Westinghouse Career and Technical High School |
| University/College | None |
| Credentials | None |
Body Measurement, Height, Weight, Hair Color, And More
| Height | 6 ft 3 inches (191 cm) |
| Weight | 273 lbs (124 kg) |
| Body Measurement | – |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Shoe Size | – |
Frequently Ask Questions
Was The Notorious B.I.G. married or single before he died?
The Notorious B.I.G. was married to Faith Evans before he died.
Where was The Notorious B.I.G. born?
Notorious B.I.G. was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
What is the name of Notorious B.I.G.’s father?
Selwyn George Latore was the father of Notorious B.I.G.
What is the name of Notorious B.I.G.’s mother?
Voletta Wallace was the mother of Notorious B.I.G.
What was Notorious B.I.G.’s net worth before he passed away?
Notorious B.I.G. had an estimated net worth of $10 million (USD) before he died.
How old was Notorious B.I.G. when he was shot?
Notorious B.I.G. was 25 years old when he was shot.
Which high school did Notorious B.I.G. attend?
He attended Westinghouse Career and Technical High School.
Which university did Notorious B.I.G. attend?
He didn’t attend university.
What was Notorious B.I.G.’s full name?
Christopher George Latore Wallace is his full name, given by his parents.
What was Notorious B.I.G.’s ethnicity?
Notorious B.I.G. was of black ethnicity.
