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The Notorious BIG
Born Christopher George Latore Wallace, Notorious B.I.G. was an exceptional student, albeit a little criminal. By the time he was twelve, he was already involved in drug trafficking; he quit school when he was seventeen so he could pursue more lawless interests. By the time he was nineteen, he had been in and out of jail twice.
It was after his second incarceration that he made a demo tape of his rapping (under the name Biggie Smalls). While not being serious about a record deal, Notorious B.I.G. was nevertheless discovered and was signed by Uptown Records' Sean âPuffyâ Combs. When Combs was let go soon after B.I.G. signed his contract, the rapper left Uptown to sign under Combs' newly-formed Bad Boy records. It was under his label that Notorious B.I.G. was made to quit his life of crime.
In 1992 he stepped into the spotlight by appearing in Mary J. Blige's âReal Loveâ as The Notorious B.I.G. He kept being featured in other people's records before releasing a solo track âParty and Bullshitâ in 1993 as part of the soundtrack of the filmâWho's The Man?â The next year, his solo debut âReady to Dieâ was released to a receptive audience and spawned the hits âJuicy/Unbelievableâ, âBig Poppaâ and âOne More Chanceâ. The Notorious B.I.G. was hailed as a champion of east coast rap, and his work was given glowing reviews.
His second album had problems being released. Notorious B.I.G. was often involved in allegations of illegal activity, feuds, assaults and accidents. Finally, in 1997, two weeks before the release of his sophomore album âLife After Deathâ, he became the victim of a drive-by shooting. He died within two hours of being shot.
The double-disc album, however, sold incredibly well rocketing The Notorious B.I.G. to superstardom. The video of its hit lead single âHypnotizeâ was the last music video recording Notorious made. Other hits from the album include âMo' Money Mo' Problemsâ and âSky's the Limitâ. The album received Grammy nominations for both itself and its first two singles.
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