Wallace was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. His debut album Ready to Die (1994) made him a central figure in East Coast hip hop and increased New York City's visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast hip hop dominated the mainstream. The following year, he led Junior M.A.F.I.A.βa protΓ©gΓ© group composed of his childhood friendsβto chart success. In 1996, while recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East CoastβWest Coast hip hop feud. On March 9, 1997, he was murdered by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His second album, Life After Death (1997), released two weeks later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. In 2000, it became one of the few hip-hop albums to be certified Diamond.
Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow"; dark, semi-autobiographical lyrics; and storytelling abilities, which focused on crime and hardship. Three more albums have been released since his death, and he has certified sales of over 17 million records in the United States, including 13.4 million albums.
Wallace was born at St. Mary's Hospital in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on May 21, 1972, the only child of Jamaican immigrant parents. His mother, Voletta Wallace, was a preschool teacher, while his father, Selwyn George Latore, was a welder and politician. His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, and his mother worked two jobs while raising him. Wallace grew up at 226 St. James Place in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill, near the border with Bedford-Stuyvesant. Wallace excelled at Queen of All Saints Middle School winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because he was overweight by the age of 10. Wallace said he started dealing drugs when he was around the age of 12. His mother, often away at work, did not know of his drug dealing until he was an adult. He began rapping as a teenager, entertaining people on the streets, and performed with local groups the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques. At his request, Wallace transferred from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School to George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, where future rappers DMX, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes were also attending. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school. At age 17, Wallace dropped out of school and became more involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation. A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in jail before making bail.
Wallace's lyrical topics and themes included mafioso tales ("Niggas Bleed"), his drug-dealing past ("10 Crack Commandments"), materialistic bragging ("Hypnotize"), as well as humor ("Just Playing (Dreams)"), and romance ("Me & My Bitch"). Rolling Stone named Wallace in 2004 as "one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing credible love songs".
Guerilla Black, in the book How to Rap, describes how Wallace was able to both "glorify the upper echelon" and "[make] you feel his struggle". According to TourΓ© of The New York Times in 1994, Wallace's lyrics " autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty". Marriott of The New York Times (in 1997) believed his lyrics were not strictly autobiographical and wrote he "had a knack for exaggeration that increased sales". Wallace described his debut as "a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in my life involving bitches and niggaz... from the beginning to the end".
Ready to Die is described by Rolling Stone as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being "full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop". AllMusic write of "a sense of doom" in some of his songs and the NY Times note some being "laced with paranoia"; Wallace described himself as feeling "broke and depressed" when he made his debut. The final song on the album, "Suicidal Thoughts", featured Wallace contemplating suicide and concluded with him committing the act.
On Life After Death, Wallace's lyrics went "deeper". Krims explains how upbeat, dance-oriented tracks (which featured less heavily on his debut) alternate with "reality rap" songs on the record and suggests that he was "going pimp" through some of the lyrical topics of the former. XXL magazine wrote that Wallace "revamped his image" through the portrayal of himself between the albums, going from "midlevel hustler" on his debut to "drug lord".
AllMusic wrote that the success of Ready to Die is "mostly due to Wallace's skill as a storyteller"; in 1994, Rolling Stone described Wallace's ability in this technique as painting "a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene". On Life After Death, Wallace notably demonstrated this skill on "I Got a Story to Tell", creating a story as a rap for the first half of the song and then retelling the same story "for his boys" in conversation form.
Considered one of the best rappers of all time, Wallace was described by AllMusic as "the savior of East Coast hip-hop". The Source magazine named Wallace the greatest rapper of all time in its 150th issue in 2002. In 2003, when XXL magazine asked several hip hop artists to list their five favorite MCs, Wallace's name appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, calling him possibly "the most skillful ever on the mic". Editors of About.com ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987β2007). In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 Lyrical Leaders of all time. Rolling Stone has referred to him as the "greatest rapper that ever lived". In 2015, Billboard named Wallace as the greatest rapper of all time.
Since his death, Wallace's lyrics have been sampled and quoted by a variety of hip hop, R&B and pop artists including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Game, Clinton Sparks, Michael Jackson and Usher. On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Sean Combs (then using the rap alias "P. Diddy") and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Wallace: an orchestra played while the vocals from "Juicy" and "Warning" played on the arena speakers. In September 2005, VH1 held its second annual "Hip Hop Honors", with a tribute to Wallace headlining the show.
Wallace had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to produce plus-sized clothing but fell dormant after he died. In 2004, his managers, Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, launched the clothing line, with help from Jay-Z, selling T-shirts with images of Wallace on them. A portion of the proceeds go to the Christopher Wallace Foundation and to Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. In 2005, Voletta Wallace hired branding and licensing agency Wicked Cow Entertainment to guide the estate's licensing efforts. Wallace-branded products on the market include action figures, blankets, and cell phone content.
The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation holds an annual black-tie dinner ("B.I.G. Night Out") to raise funds for children's school equipment and to honor Wallace's memory. For this particular event, because it is a children's schools' charity, "B.I.G." is also said to stand for "Books Instead of Guns".
There is a large portrait mural of Wallace as Mao Zedong on Fulton Street in Brooklyn a half-mile west from Wallace's old block. A fan petitioned to have the corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place, near Wallace's childhood home renamed in his honor, garnering support from local businesses and attracting more than 560 signatures.
A large portrait of Wallace features prominently in the Netflix series Luke Cage, due to the fact that he served as muse for the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Marvel Comics character Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes.
Dead Wrong
The Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, yeah
Junior M.A.F.I.A., yeah
Yeah, B.I.G. 2000
B.I.G. 2000 Born Again, c'mon, yeah
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (who got it goin' on?)
You're dead wrong
You're dead wrong
Relax and take notes, while I take tokes of the marijuana smoke
Throw you in a choke, gun smoke, gun smoke
Biggie Smalls for mayor, the rap slayer
The hooker layer, motherfucker say your prayers
Hail Mary full of grace, smack the bitch in the face
Take her Gucci bag and the North Face
Off her back, jab her if she act (uh huh)
Funny with the money, oh you got me mistaken honey
I don't wanna rape ya, I just want the paper
The Visa, capisce-ha? (yeah) I'm out like, "The Vapors"
Who's the one you call Mr. Macho? The head honcho
Swift fist like Camacho, I got so
Much style I should be down with the Stylistics
Make up to break up, niggas need to wake up
Smell the Indonesia, beat you to a seizure
Then fuck your moms, hit the skins to amnesia
She don't remember shit, just the two hits
Her hittin' the floor, and me hittin' the clit'
Suckin' on the tits, had the hooker beggin' for the dick
And your moms ain't ugly love, my dick got rock quick
I guess I was a combination of House of Pain and Bobby Brown
I was "Humpin' Around" and "Jump-in' Around"
Jacked her then I asked her who's the man, she said, "B-I-G"
Then I bust in her E-Y-E (Yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on?
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (Junior MAFIA, Bad Boy)
You're dead wrong (Born Again)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (who got it goin' on?)
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (who got it goin' on?)
You're dead wrong
When I get dusted, I like to spread the blood like mustard
Trust it, my hardcore rain leaves you rusted
Move over Lucifer, I'm more ruthless, uh
Leave your toothless, you'll kibbitz, I'll flip it
Tears don't affect me, I hit 'em with the TEC
G's disrespect me, my potency is deadly
I'm shootin' babies, no ifs ands or maybes
Hit mummy in the tummy if the hooker plays a dummy
Slit the wrist of little sis
After she sucked the dick, I stabbed her brother with the icepick
Because he wanted me to fuck him from the back
But Smalls don't get down like that
Found your father hidin' in a room, fucked him with the broom
Slit him down the back and threw salt in the wound
Who you think you're dealin' with?
Anybody step into my path is fuckin' feelin' it
Hardcore, I got it sucked like a pussy
Stab you 'til you're gushy, so please don't push me
I'm using rubbers so they won't trace the semen
The black demon, got the little hookers screamin' (woo)
Because you know I love it young, fresh and green
With no hair in between, know what I mean?
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (you're dead wrong)
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (This 2000, Bad Boy forever)
You're dead wrong (come on)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (who got it goin' on?)
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (ladies and gentlemen)
You're dead wrong
There's several different levels to Devil worshippin'
Horse's heads, human sacrifices, cannibalism, candles and exorcism
Animals, havin' sex with 'em, camels, mammals and rabbits
But I don't get into that, I kicked the habit, I just
Beat you to death with weapons that eat through the flesh
And I never eat you unless the fuckin', meat looks fresh
I got a lion in my pocket, I'm lyin', I got a 9 in my pocket
And baby I'm just, dyin' to cock him
He's ready for war, I'm ready for war
I got machetes and swords for any faggot that said he was raw (ooh)
My Uzi's heavy as yours, yeah you met me before
I just didn't have as large an arsenal of weapons before
Marshall will step in the door, I lay your head on the floor
With your body spread on the bedspread, red on the wall
Red on the ceilin', red on the floor, get a new whore
Met on the second, wed on the third
Then she's dead on the fourth, I'm dead wrong
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (you're dead wrong)
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (Junior MAFIA, Bad Boy)
You're dead wrong
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (Born Again, yeah)
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on?
You're dead wrong (come on)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on?
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (uh huh, uh)
You're dead wrong (we won't stop, 'cause we can't stop)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on?
You're dead wrong (yo Big, you're dead wrong)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on?
You're dead wrong
The lyrics to "Dead Wrong" by The Notorious B.I.G. and The XX are controversial and violent, depicting Biggie's fantasies of killing and raping women. The lyrics and graphic imagery have been the subject of criticism and controversy for decades, with some arguing that they glorify violence and misogyny. However, others have defended the song as a reflection of the harsh reality of inner-city life and the rapper's own struggles with drug addiction and sex addiction.
The opening lines of the song set up a contrast between the weak and the strong, suggesting that the strong are the ones who "have it goin' on." But then Biggie flips the script, proclaiming that "you're dead wrong." He goes on to boast about his prowess as a rapper and his ability to dominate women, using violent and explicit language to describe his fantasies. The chorus repeats the phrase "you're dead wrong," emphasizing the theme of strength and power.
Overall, the lyrics to "Dead Wrong" are disturbing and hard to listen to, but they also offer a glimpse into the mind of a troubled artist who struggled with addiction, violence, and inner demons.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad boy baby
Introductory statement, declaring affiliation to the record label Bad Boy Entertainment.
Yeah, yeah
Exclamation of agreement or approval.
Junior M.A.F.I.A., yeah
Shoutout to Junior M.A.F.I.A., a group of hip hop artists associated with Notorious B.I.G.
Yeah, B.I.G. 2000
Affirmation of Notorious B.I.G.'s legacy in the year 2000.
B.I.G. 2000 Born Again, c'mon, yeah
Promotion of Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous album 'Born Again'.
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (who got it goin' on?)
You're dead wrong
Questioning whether strength or weakness leads to success, followed by the statement that the listener is incorrect in their belief.
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (come on, who got it goin' on?)
Relax and take notes, while I take tokes of the marijuana smoke
Reiteration of the earlier question, followed by an invitation to listen and learn while the singer smokes marijuana.
Throw you in a choke, gun smoke, gun smoke
Threatening to attack with a chokehold and gunshots.
Biggie Smalls for mayor, the rap slayer
The hooker layer, motherfucker say your prayers
Aspiring to become mayor while also boasting about his skills as a rapper and womanizer, and challenging his competitors to pray.
Hail Mary full of grace, smack the bitch in the face
Take her Gucci bag and the North Face
Off her back, jab her if she act (uh huh)
Misquoting the Catholic prayer in order to justify physically assaulting a woman and stealing her designer clothing.
Funny with the money, oh you got me mistaken honey
I don't wanna rape ya, I just want the paper
The Visa, capisce-ha? (yeah) I'm out like, "The Vapors"
Addressing accusations of being a rapist, denying them, and professing a desire only for money gained through credit cards. Ends with a reference to a rap song by Biz Markie.
Who's the one you call Mr. Macho? The head honcho
Swift fist like Camacho, I got so
Much style I should be down with the Stylistics
Asserting himself as a masculine leader and role model for other rappers, comparing his fighting style to another boxer, and suggesting that his musical talent makes him fit to join an R&B group.
Make up to break up, niggas need to wake up
Smell the Indonesia, beat you to a seizure
Then fuck your moms, hit the skins to amnesia
Referencing the popular romantic anthem 'Make Up To Break Up' while encouraging people to become aware of their surroundings, and threatening to harm someone to the point of unconsciousness before having sex with their mother.
She don't remember shit, just the two hits
Her hittin' the floor, and me hittin' the clit'
Suckin' on the tits, had the hooker beggin' for the dick
And your moms ain't ugly love, my dick got rock quick
Proudly describing sexual encounters with a woman to the point of injuring her, stating that she only remembers two moments, and insulting the listener's mother while justifying his own arousal.
I guess I was a combination of House of Pain and Bobby Brown
I was "Humpin' Around" and "Jump-in' Around"
Jacked her then I asked her who's the man, she said, "B-I-G"
Then I bust in her E-Y-E (Yo Big, you're dead wrong)
Comparing himself to two other popular musicians, and using their song titles to describe his sexual activity with a woman before asking her to acknowledge his dominance. Ends with a reference to the song's chorus.
When I get dusted, I like to spread the blood like mustard
Trust it, my hardcore rain leaves you rusted
When he gets high on drugs, he becomes violent and enjoys harming people, and he considers himself to be a force powerful enough to leave opponents damaged.
Move over Lucifer, I'm more ruthless, uh
Leave your toothless, you'll kibbitz, I'll flip it
Challenging the devil himself in terms of cruelty and violence, warning of knocking out victims' teeth and engaging in a back-and-forth exchange with a Jewish person.
Tears don't affect me, I hit 'em with the TEC
G's disrespect me, my potency is deadly
Claiming to not be affected by emotions, instead relying on a gun to harm others, and stating that his power is lethal to anyone who disrespects him.
I'm shootin' babies, no ifs ands or maybes
Hit mummy in the tummy if the hooker plays a dummy
Slit the wrist of little sis
After she sucked the dick, I stabbed her brother with the icepick
Indiscriminately killing infants, threatening to harm pregnant women if they act foolish, and describing the violent deaths of a woman's sibling and a man with whom he had a sexual encounter.
Because he wanted me to fuck him from the back
But Smalls don't get down like that
Refusing to perform certain sexual acts despite requests from others.
Found your father hidin' in a room, fucked him with the broom
Slit him down the back and threw salt in the wound
Locating and sexually assaulting the listener's father before committing a gruesome murder.
Who you think you're dealin' with?
Anybody step into my path is fuckin' feelin' it
Hardcore, I got it sucked like a pussy
Stab you 'til you're gushy, so please don't push me
Questioning the listener's awareness of his fearsome reputation and threatening violent harm to anyone who challenges him.
I'm using rubbers so they won't trace the semen
The black demon, got the little hookers screamin' (woo)
Because you know I love it young, fresh and green
With no hair in between, know what I mean?
Using condoms to cover up evidence of his illicit sexual activity with minors, bragging about the minors' enthusiastic response to his advances, and openly admitting to preferring pubescent partners.
There's several different levels to Devil worshippin'
Horse's heads, human sacrifices, cannibalism, candles and exorcism
Animals, havin' sex with 'em, camels, mammals and rabbits
But I don't get into that, I kicked the habit, I just
Listing various occult practices, including bestiality, but claiming not to personally participate.
Beat you to death with weapons that eat through the flesh
And I never eat you unless the fuckin', meat looks fresh
I got a lion in my pocket, I'm lyin', I got a 9 in my pocket
And baby I'm just, dyin' to cock him
Promising to kill someone with corrosive weaponry before cannibalizing their flesh if it looks new enough, and boasting about carrying both a firearm and a wild animal.
He's ready for war, I'm ready for war
I got machetes and swords for any faggot that said he was raw (ooh)
My Uzi's heavy as yours, yeah you met me before
I just didn't have as large an arsenal of weapons before
Acknowledging a desire for physical violence and an encounter with someone who claimed to be tough, while reassuring that he now has even more weapons at his disposal.
Marshall will step in the door, I lay your head on the floor
With your body spread on the bedspread, red on the wall
Red on the ceilin', red on the floor, get a new whore
Met on the second, wed on the third
Then she's dead on the fourth, I'm dead wrong
Threatening to harm and kill the listener, before describing how the victim's body will be found and encouraging the listener to seek a new partner. Ends with a repetition of the song's chorus.
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (Born Again, yeah)
The weak or the strong, who got it goin' on? (uh huh, uh)
You're dead wrong (we won't stop, 'cause we can't stop)
Reiteration of the song's chorus, declaring that the listener is incorrect in their belief, and a statement of defiance and persistence in the face of opposition.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carl Thompson, Christopher Wallace, Osten Harvey, Al Green, Marshall Mathers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brazymoneybaggmelo2398
Seeing all big footage is life
Big had a great personality
Him and the cameraman conversation was so beautiful as Big flexed in the most respectful way possible,even the guy holding the camera was excited for Big success
Guy said "that's ok" wen Big was flexing
"Don't forget the Pinky ring,
Alright, Alright*
I love me some Big and Pac to the fullest
Back when real street cats like big made it off the block and was only worrying about how far that rapping would take him,may God bless and rest his sweet soulππππ
Rest well Big dawg u was truly one of the greatest ever to do it
@eleven.29
Like he said, relax and take notes.
@MsLocalmotion
Gun Smoke gun smoke
@maneuverbackup
While I take tokes of the marijuana smoke
Throw you in the choke
Gun smoke gun smoke!!!
@akillezofgreece8777
Biggie smalls for mayor the rap slayer
@robertocruztv6097
Greatest ever
@user-ul2xn6ou2j
+
@jamierm3002
The βwrite this downβ remix of this song may be the coldest song I have ever listened to
@hitthelotto64
nah nuttin beats the og beat
@skullnight591
@@hitthelotto64 thatβs absolutely cap remix beat is better
@hitthelotto64
@@skullnight591 i like them both