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.—a protégé group composed of his childhood friends—to chart success. In 1996, while recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West 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 Touré 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 (1987–2007). 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.
Miss U
The 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 U" by The Notorious B.I.G. is a powerful tribute to his friend O and other young folks who lost their lives in the struggle. The lyrics showcase Biggie's grief, anguish, and regret over losing his loved ones. He reminisces about the good times they had together and wonders why they had to leave so soon. Biggie also narrates how he and his comrades dabbled in the drug trade, got caught up in the game, and had to face the consequences. He talks about his friend who wanted to flee to the South to escape the law's wrath but ended up getting killed. He also shares the story of a girl named Drew, who got caught in a lover's triangle and was murdered in cold blood.
The lyrics are notable for their vivid storytelling and emotional depth. Biggie's words paint a picture of the hard-knock life in the ghetto, the lure of fast money, and the harsh realities of violence and death. The song's melancholic beat and soulful chorus add to its somber tone and amplify Biggie's feelings of loss and yearning. In this song, Biggie shows a different side of himself, one that is vulnerable, introspective, and heartfelt.
Overall, "Miss U" is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the need to cherish every moment with our loved ones. It is a timeless classic that resonates with people who have experienced loss and grief and offers solace and comfort to those who are still mourning.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, dedicatin' this to my nigga O
This song is dedicated to a friend of mine who has passed away and is no longer with us.
We miss you nigga
We miss you so much and think about you often.
Goin' out to all the young niggas that died in the struggle
This song is also for all of the young people who have lost their lives and struggled in their own ways.
Word up, shit is real in the field
The world we live in can be harsh and unforgiving, especially in certain areas and communities.
You know, sparkin' blunts to all you niggas
We're smoking weed and thinking about all of the friends we've lost.
Each and every day
Every single day that goes by.
The daydreams of how we used to be
We think back and daydream about the good times we shared in the past.
See your family
When we see your family and loved ones.
And that baby's lookin' just like you
We see a little baby who looks just like you did when you were young.
Why'd you go away
We don't understand why you had to leave us and pass away.
I've been missin' you lately
We've been feeling your absence more and more lately.
Tell me what you're goin' through, oh yeah
We wish we could talk to you and ask you how you're doing, but unfortunately we can't.
I remember sellin' three bricks of straight flour
I remember when we used to sell drugs.
Got my man a beat down to the third power
My friend got beat up really badly.
He didn't care, spent the money in a half hour
He didn't care about the money, he spent it quickly and without much thought.
Got some fishscale, rained on competition like a shower
We got some really good cocaine and dominated the competition.
Got the coke cooked up, a crackhead Kevin
We cooked the cocaine and sold it, even to people who were addicted to crack.
In eighty-eight, when Kane ruled, with 'Half Steppin'
This happened in 1988 when Big Daddy Kane was popular and his song 'Half Steppin'' was a hit.
A thirty-eight, a lot of mouth, was our only weapon
We only had a .38 caliber gun and used our words to intimidate others.
We was king 'til the D's crept in
We thought we were on top and in control until the police came and interfered.
And now I'm missin' 'em
Now that my friends are gone, I'm feeling the loss more than ever.
Ooh, I'm missin' you
We really miss you and wish you were still here with us.
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
We don't know why life takes the turns that it does.
Nah nah nah nah nah, oh tell me why why why why
We want to understand why these things happen and why we had to lose you.
We work all week, weekends we play the movies
We work during the week and spend our weekends relaxing and watching movies.
We rock flatops, our girls rocked doobies
We wore our hair short and our girlfriends wore their hair in dreadlocks.
Made a killin', even though the D's knew me
We were able to make a lot of money selling drugs, despite the police being aware of what we were doing.
Eventually, you know they try to do me, fuck it
Inevitably, the police started coming after me, but I didn't care anymore.
Fed up, my nigga wanted to take it down South
My friend was sick of the police hassle and wanted to move down South to get away from it all.
Sick of cops comin', sick of throwin' jacks in his mouth
He was sick of the constant police harassment and being beaten and arrested by them.
Gave him half my paper, told 'em go that route
I gave him half of the money I had made and told him to go ahead and make the move.
Few months, he got his brains blown out
Unfortunately, only a few months later, he was shot and killed.
Now I'm stressed
Now I'm feeling a lot of stress and anxiety.
His baby's mother, she trippin', blamin' me
His girlfriend and the mother of his child is angry at me and blames me for his death.
And his older brothers, understand, the game it be
His older brothers know how the drug game works and understand what happened to him.
Kinda topsy turvy, you win some, you lose some
This whole situation is chaotic and unpredictable. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
Damn, they lost a brother, they mother lost a son
His brothers lost their sibling and his mother lost her child.
Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in NY?
We wish he could have stayed in New York and not moved down South.
I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried
I'm a tough guy, but I cried for three days straight when I heard the news.
I'd, look in the sky and ask God why
I would look up at the sky and ask God why this had to happen.
Can't look his baby girls in the eye
It's heartbreaking to think about his daughters and how they'll grow up without their father.
There was this girl around the way that made cats drool
There was this girl who lived in our neighborhood who all of the guys were attracted to.
Her name Drew, played fools out they money in pool
Her name was Drew and she was very good at hustling guys out of their money by playing pool.
People swore we was fuckin' but we was just cool
Everyone assumed that we were sleeping together, but we were just friends and didn't have that kind of relationship.
She used to hang while I slang my joints after school
She used to hang out with me while I sold drugs after school.
She'd watch my bomb, help my moms with the groceries
She would watch over my drug stash and even help my mother with the groceries sometimes.
My little sister, the girl was kinda close to me
My little sister became close with Drew as well.
A little closer than the average girl's supposed to be
Perhaps they were a little too close for comfort.
Far from a lover, my girl was jealous of her
My girlfriend wasn't happy about how close I was with Drew and became jealous of her.
Then she started messin' with some major players
Drew started getting involved with some big time drug dealers.
Handled keys, niggas called them the Bricklayers
These dealers were selling large quantities of drugs, mainly cocaine, and were known as the Bricklayers.
A dread kid, had a baby 'fore that bitch Taya
One of the dealers, who had dreadlocks, had a baby with a woman named Taya before he got involved with Drew.
Found out her baby's father cheatin', now Drew she gotta slay her
When Drew found out that Taya's baby's father was cheating on her, she became angry and wanted to get revenge.
One night, across from the corner store
One night, across the street from a convenience store.
Taya ran around the block with a chrome four-four
Taya chased after Drew with a .44 caliber gun.
Squeezed all six shots in the passenger door
She fired all six shots into the car where Drew was sitting in the passenger seat.
The dude lived, what my baby had to die for
The guy in the driver's seat survived, but Drew died for no reason.
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