His career was overshadowed by the Bad Boy/Death Row Records feud during his life, but following his untimely death in 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. has been celebrated as a hip-hop legend. He is remembered for his storytelling ability, talented freestyling ability, and his easy to understand yet complex flow. The Notorious B.I.G. is considered by many to be one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Early Life
Christopher Wallace was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. His father, George Latore, left the family shortly after his birth, and his mother, Voletta, was a schoolteacher. While he is known to have dropped out of school and become a drug dealer, his mother has claimed that the family was not poor and that Wallace exaggerated his childhood situation in his lyrics. His best childhood friend and inspiration was a chubby kid who went by the name of Lil Punisha.
Wallace, who originally didn’t stray much farther than his Brooklyn neighborhood to sell drugs, began to traffic drugs to Virginia and Maryland where it was sold at a higher price. He was eventually busted, and served 10 months in jail. Shortly after he was released, he had his first child, T’Yanna.
With a baby on the way, Wallace decided to start rapping. He developed into a talented lyricist, recording a demo tape with local performer Mr. Cee, who was the DJ for Brooklyn MC Big Daddy Kane. This tape reached The Source magazine and they co-signed Biggie in their “Unsigned Hype” column, which is dedicated to aspiring rappers.
Rap career
The demo tape found its way into the hands of then Uptown Records employee Sean “Puffy” Combs (now Diddy, who subsequently arranged for a meeting with Wallace. Combs and Wallace became instant friends, performing together on the 1992 reggae song “Dolly My Babii” by Super Cat.
Wallace first gained notice with “Party and Bullshit,” his first single. He made his second mainstream appearance on the remix of Mary J. Blige’s smash hits “Real Love” and “What’s the 411”. He also appeared on the “Flava in ya Ear” remix. He appeared on the album One Million Strong on a song called “RUNNIN’” with 2Pac & Dramacydal. He also made an appearance on the Trapp album Stop The Gunfight on a track called “Be The Realist” with 2Pac & Trapp. This album also contained a remix of “RUNNIN’” called “Stop The Gunfight.” All of these guest appearances built a sizeable buzz around Wallace’s name leading up to his solo debut.
In 1994, he released “Juicy”, his first mainstream single. He also released Ready to Die, his debut album, which is regarded as one of hip-hop’s all-time classics and credited with revitalizing East Coast hip hop. The album features one of rap’s most famous “playa anthems,” “Big Poppa,” which samples the The Isley Brothers. Wallace’s album drew critical acclaim for its vivid story-telling and razor-sharp lyricism, an example being the line “They don’t know about the stress filled day/Baby on the way, mad bills to pay/That’s why you drink Tanqueray/So you can reminisce and wish/You wasn’t living so devilish” from “Everyday Struggle.”
In 1995, Wallace’s protegés, Junior M.A.F.I.A. (Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes), released the album Conspiracy. That same year, Wallace introduced to the mainstream his crewmates Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease. His single “One More Chance” debuted at #5 on the pop charts, tying “Scream/Childhood” by Michael Jackson as the highest debut single in music history at the time, although this record has since been surpassed by Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone,” which debuted at number one. “One More Chance,” which sampled the R&B song “Stay With Me,” was a remix of the song by the same name that originally appeared on Ready to Die. “One More Chance” was also his highest selling single, going Platinum in a matter of weeks.
Also in 1995, Wallace featured in Michael Jackson’s song “This Time Around”, which can be found on Jackson’s HIStory album. This was not the only Michael Jackson song in which Wallace featured in. In 2001, Jackson included a rap verse sung by Wallace in his song “Unbreakable”, which is found on Jackson’s “Invincible” album.
By the end of 1995, Wallace had become one of the most famous and popular rappers in the world. He was named “Lyricist Of The Year” by The Source, and many dubbed him the “King Of New York” (a play on his “Frank White” persona.)
Technique
Big was notorized early in his career mostly for his lyrical content, which included hardcore gangsta-rap lyrics at a time when that style dominated the West Coast, and most of his native New York was dominated by the jazziness of A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr and the blend of Five Percenter/far East-influenced/gangsta stylings of MCs like Afu-Ra, Jeru the Damaja and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Over the course of his career, fans who called him the greatest would cite his flow, topical diversity, and vivid, detailed storytelling; he also moved from simple thug lyrics to mafioso-like tales of “gangsterism”, a posturing which some speculate probably contributed to his death.
East Coast West Coast Feud
Although Ready to Die made Wallace a star, he is most famed for his involvement in rap’s infamous feud between the East and West Coast scenes. Before Ready to Die was released, he began to associate with rap superstar Tupac Shakur, a New York City native who moved to Baltimore and later Marin City. The two recorded a number of songs together, and Wallace even performed alongside Shakur in a now-famous Madison Square Garden freestyle in 1994. However, their friendship ended when Shakur was shot in November of that year. Though there is no evidence suggesting it, Shakur claimed that Combs and Wallace knew about the shooting beforehand based on their behavior that night and what he had heard from his sources. He also thought that the lyrics in Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya,” were disrespectful and shouldn’t have been released at such a time. Shakur subsequently joined Death Row Records after his release from prison in late 1995.
Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment were the two most successful labels of the 1990s, and with the two biggest stars in rap now associated with different labels, the feud escalated. In 1996, Tupac recorded a song called “Hit ‘Em Up”, in which he claims to have slept with B.I.G.’s wife Faith Evans, and claims that Biggie copied his style. Biggie never made a response, and the two even met before the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. However, when Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, rumors of Wallace’s possible involvement in the murder cropped up almost immediately. He denied the allegations. Also around this time, he was involved in a car accident that shattered his leg and would force him to use a cane for the rest of his life.
Death
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was shot and killed in Los Angeles, where he had been attending a party by VIBE Magazine near the Petersen Automotive Museum. As his car pulled up to a red light, another car opened fire, hitting him six times and killing him almost instantly.
His murder has never been conclusively solved, though theories abound as to the motives and identities of the murderers. Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight and the Mob Piru Bloods gang with whom he associated are among the prime suspects for involvement. In his book, LAbyrinth, LAPD officer Russell Poole probes the circumstances and figures involved in the shootings.
Funeral
Biggie’s death was a vicious shock to the entire music industry and sent shock waves around the world. The Notorious B.I.G.’s public funeral, however, was anything but peaceful. Wallace was loved in his neighbourhood, his funeral was a massive event. Thousands flooded into his Brooklyn neighborhood to catch a glimpse of his hearse, jumping on cars and clashing with police; ten people were arrested. When someone put on “Hypnotize”, the whole crowd erupted.
Theories about his death
Director Nick Broomfield and co-producer Dmitri Leybman have released an investigative documentary called Biggie & Tupac which implicates the LAPD and Suge Knight. Proponents of this theory defend it because the LAPD’s elite robbery and homicide unit didn’t begin to investigate Wallace’s murder until a month after it happened, and the job was given to a poorly funded division of LAPD investigators; and several prison inmates who were once members of the Mob Piru Bloods have come forward and said that they know for a fact that Suge Knight ordered Wallace’s murder due to their own personal connections.
Conspiracy theories abound about Wallace’s murder: Some believe that the Crips gang may have shot Wallace in retalliation for his not paying for the security services they provided at a previous party. However, it should be noted that such theories are simply speculation, with no hard evidence backing them up.
The Los Angeles Times ran an almost universally discredited article entitled “Who Shot Tupac Shakur?” by reporter Chuck Phillips, which concludes that Wallace was ultimately behind Shakur’s murder. Evidence to the contrary has since surfaced, most notably a dated and timed excerpt from a recording that Wallace made in a studio in New York when he was supposedly providing the murder weapon to hitmen in Las Vegas. The article also claims that he checked in and out of a hotel without being noticed by a single individual, despite being a 6’3”, 300-pound national celebrity.
Posthumous career
Life After Death, Wallace’s second album, debuted at #1 on the charts. The album was released only two weeks after his murder. Its lead single was “Hypnotize”, which was also the last music video he would take part in. Life After Death hit number one on the Billboard charts and spawned several hit singles in the United States. The album sold over 18 million copies worldwide and is one of the best selling hip-hop albums of all time. His biggest chart hit was “Mo Money, Mo Problems,” which featured Combs (under the rap alias “Puff Daddy”) and rapper Mase, and sampled the disco song “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross for the beat. The video is noted for having started the “Shiny Suit” era in hip hop. The last video single from Life After Death was “Sky’s The Limit,” featuring 112. The video for this song, directed by Spike Jonze, was noted for the use of children portraying Wallace and his contemporaries, such as Combs, Lil’ Kim, and Busta Rhymes. This technique has been recently used in the Three 6 Mafia music video for “Poppin’ My Collar.”
During the summer of 1997, Combs released his debut album, No Way Out, which featured Wallace on a number of songs, notably in the chorus of the single “Been Around the World” over a David Bowie sample (“Let’s Dance”). However, the single that carried this album to the top was “I’ll Be Missing You,” which was dedicated to Wallace’s memory. The song featured Puff Daddy, Wallace’s widow Faith Evans and 112. The song sampled The Police’s hit song “Every Breath You Take.” All these artists performed the song with former Police vocalist Sting during the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
In 1999, Combs released Wallace’s third album, Born Again. It had two hit singles: “N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S.,” featuring Puff Daddy and Lil’ Kim (interpolation to the Duran Duran’s song of the same name), and “Dead Wrong” a single that later was remixed with a verse from Eminem. The video for “N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S.” also featured appearances by 98 Degrees and Fat Joe.
In 2001, one of Wallace’s raps was featured in Michael Jackson’s song “Unbreakable,” which was included on his multi-platinum album Invincible. Wallace previously collaborated with Jackson in his 1995 song “This Time Around” from the autobiographical album HIStory.
In 2002, Combs gave 50 Cent rights to sample Wallace’s verses from “Niggaz” (a song from the Born Again album) into a song called “The Realest Niggaz.” It got out as a single and was a big hit on New York radio stations. Many have attributed that song as the first big break for 50 Cent, who is now one of hip-hop’s biggest superstars. The song was later put on the soundtrack for the 2003 hit movie Bad Boys 2 with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Later on in 2003, Eminem remixed the 1994 Wallace/Shakur collaboration “RUNNIN’” and added a sample of Edgar Winter’s “Dying to Live.” Titled “Runnin’ (Dying To Live)”, the song was released as a single from the soundtrack of Tupac: Resurrection.
On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Combs (who was hosting the event) and Snoop Dogg paid a well-received tribute to Wallace: an orchestra played while the lyrics from “Juicy” and “Warning” played on the arena speakers. In September 2005, VH1 had its second annual “Hip Hop Honors,” with a tribute to Wallace headlining the show. The long awaited The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter album was released December 20, 2005. The album spawned the singles “Nasty Girl”, which became his first UK #1, as well as “Spit Your Game” “Whatchu Want” and “Hold Ya Head”.
On March 19, 2006, a judge ordered that sales of Ready to Die be halted because the title track apparently sampled “Singing in the Morning” by the Ohio Players without permission.
After Death - If He Were Alive
Many people associated with rap music continuously speculate about how different rap would be today if rappers like Wallace had never died. The rapper Jadakiss, who was a close associate of Biggie’s, stated in an appearance on MTV’s The Shop that most rappers popular today would “be taking fast food orders” if Wallace were still producing music. However, Wallace’s friends Lil’ Cease, Lil’ Kim, and Puff Daddy, all insist that he was not going to be in hip-hop for a very long time. In an interview with XXL Magazine (conducted in 1995 but released in 2003), Wallace himself said he was planning to retire from rap music in 2000 to manage the careers of Junior M.A.F.I.A.
In the song “1970 Somethin”, a song featuring West Coast Rapper The Game and Faith Evans, Game dedicates an entire verse to the New York Emcee. Similarily “copying” his rap style, emulating B.I.G Here is an excerpt:
“If I was in Brooklyn and B.I. was still alive In 2006, it might sound like this NY, 7-1-8’s, 2-1-2’s With Sue’s rendezvous, it’s like Moulin Rouge High fashion, uptown Air Force Ones and Vasquez Puerto Ricans with fat asses Blazed dutch masters, we dump ashes On models in S classes for you bastards Catch a cab to Manhattan, with that Broadway actin’ You hype, that Belly shit’ll get you capped and wrapped in plastic Tell the captain to ask Rog’ What’s Happenin’? I hear, nor speak no evil inside the magnum”
Movie
There is a movie in the works about Wallace’s life. Antoine Fuqua, the director of Training Day, will direct the film. The film is being produced by Wallace’s mother and by his former managers, Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts.
Legacy
Biggie is widely celebrated as one of the all time greatest hip-hop artists. His lyrics have been sampled by many of today’s more famous names in hip hop, such as Jay-Z, Fat Joe, 50 Cent, Nelly, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Juelz Santana, Busta Rhymes, and even R&B stars such as Usher, Akon, Alicia Keys, and Ashanti. He is also sampled in Michael Jackson’s 2001 album INVINCIBLE in the song UNBREAKABLE.
In 2001, elite hip-hop magazine The Source crowned him as the greatest MC of all time. Likewise in 2003, when XXL Magazine asked many elite names in hip hop who they felt was the top 5 rappers of all time, Biggie’s named appeared on more rappers’ lists than any other MC. During Canibus’s 1998 feud with LL Cool J, Canibus responded to LL Cool J’s claim to be the greatest rapper of all time on the song Second Round K.O. by saying “the greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th.”, which was the day Biggie died.
Unfortunately, a huge knock on Biggie’s legacy is the fact that he only recorded two albums while alive, with only two posthumous releases in the near-decade since his death. In 2006, MTV ranked Biggie as the #1 MC of all time, but later recinded that decision primarily due to a lack of material. However, he still ranked number #3, with 2Pac and Jay-Z ranked ahead of him.
At the time of his death, Wallace created a hip-hop supergroup called The Commission, which consisted of himself, Jay-Z, Lil’ Cease, P. Diddy and Charli Baltimore. A song on the duets album called Whatchu Want (The Commission) featuring Wallace and Jay-Z is based on the group.
Trivia
* Among the performers Wallace discovered, or in some way helped further their rap careers, were Jay-Z, Cam’ron, Jadakiss, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Lil’ Kim, Mase, N.O.R.E. and Charli Baltimore
* He attended the same high school in downtown Brooklyn as Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes.
* He was one of the first MCs ever to successfully bridge the gap between commercial and underground success.
* He first signed with Uptown Records in 1993, his first recording deal.
* Method Man is the only artist to feature on Ready To Die, on the track “The What”
* A line from his song “Me and My Bitch” is sampled on Mary J. Blige & Method Man’s Grammy winning single “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need.”
* He collaborated with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the only group who have had the opportunity to collaborate with Wallace and each of the late rappers 2Pac, Eazy-E, and Big Punisher in their lifetime. They were first featured with Wallace on the track “Notorious Thugs” which has been recently remixed in the track Spit Your Game. On “Notorious Thugs,” Biggie flips his usual flow to match the speed rapping of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
* His song Big Poppa was featured throughout the 2001 movie Hardball.
* Both “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money, Mo Problems” hit #1 after Biggie’s death giving him two posthumous #1 hits - more than any other singer. Other posthumous #1 hits belong to Otis Redding (“The Dock Of The Bay”); Janis Joplin (“Me And Bobby McGee”); Jim Croce (“Time In A Bottle”); and, John Lennon (“(Just Like) Starting Over”).
* Wallace had the ability to create verses in his head and was able to freestyle tracks on the mic without the use of pen and paper. This skill was also shared by Jay-Z, which lead to their eventual friendship.
* Other artists who use this unique style of rapping (and cite Biggie as an influence) include Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Common, and Ja Rule.
* According to people close to him, Biggie had as much as five albums worth of lyrics in his head when he died.
* His song Big Poppa was featured in the 2007 movie Superbad.
miss you
Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We miss you nigga
Goin' out to all the young niggas that died in the struggle
Word up, shit is real in the field
You know, sparkin' blunts to all you niggas
Word up
Each and every day
See your family
And that baby's lookin' just like you
Why'd you go away
I've been missin' you lately
Tell me what you're goin' through, oh yeah
I remember sellin' three bricks of straight flour
Got my man a beat down to the third power
He didn't care, spent the money in a half hour
Got some fishscale, rained on competition like a shower
Got the coke cooked up, a crackhead Kevin
In eighty-eight, when Kane ruled, with 'Half Steppin'
A thirty-eight, a lot of mouth, was our only weapon
We was king 'til the D's crept in
And now I'm missin' 'em
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
We work all week, weekends we play the movies
We rock flatops, our girls rocked doobies
Made a killin', even though the D's knew me
Eventually, you know they try to do me, fuck it
Fed up, my nigga wanted to take it down South
Sick of cops comin', sick of throwin' jacks in his mouth
Gave him half my paper, told 'em go that route
Few months, he got his brains blown out
Now I'm stressed
His baby's mother, she trippin', blamin' me
And his older brothers, understand, the game it be
Kinda topsy turvy, you win some, you lose some
Damn, they lost a brother, they mother lost a son
Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in NY?
I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried
I'd, look in the sky and ask God why
Can't look his baby girls in the eye
Damn I'm missin' her
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
There was this girl around the way that made cats drool
Her name Drew, played fools out they money in pool
People swore we was fuckin' but we was just cool
She used to hang while I slang my joints after school
She'd watch my bomb, help my moms with the groceries
My little sister, the girl was kinda close to me
A little closer than the average girl's supposed to be
Far from a lover, my girl was jealous of her
Then she started messin' with some major players
Handled keys, niggas called them the Bricklayers
A dread kid, had a baby 'fore that bitch Taya
Found out her baby's father cheatin', now Drew she gotta slay her
One night, across from the corner store
Taya ran around the block with a chrome four-four
Squeezed all six shots in the passenger door
The dude lived, what my baby had to die for
I'm missin' her
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
The song “Miss You” by The Notorious B.I.G. is about the pain and loss that comes with the deaths of his loved ones. He dedicates the song to his friend O and all the other young people who died “in the struggle”. He reminisces about the past and how things used to be, wondering why they had to leave too soon. Beautifully crafted lyrics paint vivid images of his life and experiences, from selling drugs to the death of his friend. He also touches on the helplessness he felt in some situations and how he couldn’t do anything to change them.
The chorus “Ooh, I'm missin' you, Tell me why the road turns, why it turns, Ooh, I'm missin' you” is a poignant reminder of how things can take a sudden turn, and we lose the people we love. The Notorious B.I.G. was known for his storytelling and was able to put his pain, his loss, and his experiences into words to make people feel what he felt. The vulnerability that he showed in his music has created a legacy that still resonates with people to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, dedicatin' this to my nigga O
Starting this song as a dedication to his friend O who is no more.
We miss you nigga
Expressing his and the community's feelings of missing his friend O.
Goin' out to all the young niggas that died in the struggle
Extending his condolences and sending out the message that he remembers all those others who have died in similar struggles.
Word up, shit is real in the field
Acknowledging the harsh reality of life and the struggles faced in his community.
You know, sparkin' blunts to all you niggas
Commending his peers to continue with their habit of smoking marijuana, even in these difficult times.
Each and every day
Repetitively reminds that his missing his friend O every day.
The daydreams of how we used to be
Remembering the past and the happy times spent with his friend O brings him solace.
See your family
Visiting his friend's family keeps the connection he shared with his friend alive.
And that baby's lookin' just like you
Referring to his friend's kid, who reminds him of O and his features.
Why'd you go away
Questioning the sudden death and wondering why his friend had to leave so soon.
I've been missin' you lately
Expressing how much he misses his friend these days more than ever.
Tell me what you're goin' through, oh yeah
Carefully asking his friend about his experiences since he has left, though he knows he can never receive an answer.
I remember sellin' three bricks of straight flour
Recalling how he and O started their drug dealing business and sold three bricks of drugs in one go.
Got my man a beat down to the third power
Talking about an incident in which he fought with someone who was not happy with their business and the fight was so severe his associate's injuries were severe.
He didn't care, spent the money in a half hour
Oblivious to the injuries, his associate went ahead and blew all the money in thirty minutes.
Got some fishscale, rained on competition like a shower
Finding better quality of drugs, he quickly took over the trade, driving out the competition like rainfall.
Got the coke cooked up, a crackhead Kevin
Partnering up with someone to cook and process their cocaine supply, which helped in bulk sales.
In eighty-eight, when Kane ruled, with 'Half Steppin'
Referencing the famous rapper Big Daddy Kane's song 'Half Steppin' from his 1988 album, was popularized at that time.
A thirty-eight, a lot of mouth, was our only weapon
Sharing the weapon of choice for protection, which was a 38 caliber pistol and their threatening behavior.
We was king 'til the D's crept in
He reminisces how he and O dominated the drug trade business till the police intervened.
And now I'm missin' 'em
Recalling the past and how it was good for business with O as his partner.
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Another reminder of how much he misses O.
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Questioning why life takes a turn for the worst and why he has been left without his friend.
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
Singing out the same sentiments of how unfair life can be without a reason.
We work all week, weekends we play the movies
Explaining the weekly work schedule and how weekends are meant for leisure and entertainment, in this case, going to the movies.
We rock flatops, our girls rocked doobies
Describing the hairstyle of the time, flat tops, which they preferred, and how their girls liked smoking marijuana joints (a slang term for rolled marijuana cigarette).
Made a killin', even though the D's knew me
Proudly boasting about their success in the drug trade business, even though the police were already aware of them.
Eventually, you know they try to do me, fuck it
Admitting how the police eventually caught up with him and tried to take him down.
Fed up, my nigga wanted to take it down South
Under immense pressure and fed up with the law enforcement agencies always breathing down his neck, his friend O planned to relocate down South.
Sick of cops comin', sick of throwin' jacks in his mouth
Getting fed up with constant police raids and violence, they would tie him up and beat him.
Gave him half my paper, told 'em go that route
Biggie offered financial assistance to his friend O to help him take the new route towards a clean slate and a fresh start.
Few months, he got his brains blown out
Sadly reporting how soon after, O became the victim of another violent incident, this time fatally shot.
Now I'm stressed
Acknowledging how he has become aware of the situation's reality and now suffers from stress and anxiety.
His baby's mother, she trippin', blamin' me
Talking about how O's girlfriend holds Biggie responsible for O's death and blames him for it.
And his older brothers, understand, the game it be
Recalling how O's brothers understand how the game is, and there's no one to blame for O's death.
Kinda topsy turvy, you win some, you lose some
Reflecting on how life's vicious circle can be with its ups and downs and how it accepts you and ultimately rejects you at times.
Damn, they lost a brother, they mother lost a son
Sorrowfully describing how the family lost a brother, and O's mother lost a son in the game.
Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in NY?
Expressing his disappointment about O's decision to leave New York and how he wishes his friend did not have to die like this.
I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried
Confessing how even someone like him, who considers himself a thug and is not averse to violence, cried for three straight days after his friend's death.
I'd, look in the sky and ask God why
Recounting how he often stared up to the sky, seeking divine intervention and answers to his pain and questions.
Can't look his baby girls in the eye
Finally admitting that O's death has affected him so gravely that he's unable to face and connect with O's young daughters anymore.
There was this girl around the way that made cats drool
Starting another story, this time around his girl best friend who was very popular with men in the area.
Her name Drew, played fools out they money in pool
Introducing his friend's name Drew, who had a reputation for winning money from men by playing them in pool.
People swore we was fuckin' but we was just cool
Clarifying how people would assume they were having an intimate relationship, but in reality, they were just very good friends.
She used to hang while I slang my joints after school
Explaining how Drew would keep him company and hang around while he sold drugs to customers after school hours.
She'd watch my bomb, help my moms with the groceries
Reminiscing how his friend Drew would watch over his things, including the bombs (a slang term for drugs), and also help his mom with groceries.
My little sister, the girl was kinda close to me
Explaining how close Drew was to his family and how she shared a good relationship with his younger sister.
A little closer than the average girl's supposed to be
Acknowledging how closer Drew was to him than what is usually considered acceptable for men and women's relationship in his community.
Far from a lover, my girl was jealous of her
Clarifying how their relationship wasn't romantic and stating how his girlfriend was envious of the relationship they shared.
Then she started messin' with some major players
Explaining how Drew started spending time with bigger drug dealers who were considered prominent players in their trade.
Handled keys, niggas called them the Bricklayers
Describing how Drew started involving herself in handling keys, which is a term used for drugs on a larger scale, and how people recognized her association with the prominent group The Bricklayers.
A dread kid, had a baby 'fore that bitch Taya
Explaining how a man with dreadlocks had a child before another notorious woman, Taya, had one.
Found out her baby's father cheatin', now Drew she gotta slay her
Narrating how when Drew found out that the father of Taya's baby was cheating on her, she killed him to seek revenge.
One night, across from the corner store
Describing the location where the incident happened.
Taya ran around the block with a chrome four-four
Explaining how Taya ran with a gun, a chrome four-four in her hands, looking to seek revenge.
Squeezed all six shots in the passenger door
Telling how she shot at Drew multiple times and how all six shots hit the passenger side of the car.
The dude lived, what my baby had to die for
Ending the story on a sad note, regretting that Drew lost her life in the incident while the man she killed survived.
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Recalling how much he misses Drew, his friend, and how her death affected him.
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Questioning yet again why life takes such unpredictable turns, causing so much pain in the process.
Ooh, I'm missin' you
Reiterating the constant feeling of missing Drew.
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
The same sentiments remain of how life can be so uncertain and cruel.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LIONEL B., JR. RICHIE, KEIR GIST, DARREN LIGHTY, CHRISTOPHER WALLACE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anthonygraves9039
112 doesn't get enough credit for this joint, they put the icing on this🔥🔥
@killadjango6995
💯💯💯💯🎯🙏🏽🗣
@josephgathuku6907
That's true
@TheGhettoRev
They def made this record a record
@kylepruden1948
Saw them live high and they zoned me out with their singing. Like a trance. Was great
@dlowe404
112 has never got enough credit for any of their contributions and profjects imo
@theblackdisciple
Time flies
Music heals
Life goes on.
@abdulkareemabdullahi9884
Hell yeah.Life goes on.
@NotoriousBIG
Join The Christopher Wallace Estate and Bad Boy / Atlantic / Rhino Records in celebrating 25 years of Life After Death and 50 Years of Christopher Wallace. The Super Deluxe 8-LP Box Set of The Notorious B.I.G.'s opus Life After Death will be available worldwide on June 10, 2022. Learn more about what’s in the release and pre-order yours now at https://Big.lnk.to/LADSDlx
Stream or download Biggie's Essentials https://big.lnk.to/BIG
@jakestrons9484
Love u king