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.
My Downfall
The Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My moms and pops mixed me with Jamaican Rum and Whiskey
Huh, what a set up
Shoulda pushed 'em dead off, wipe the sweat off
'Cause in this world I'm dead off, squeeze lead off
Benz sped off, ain't no shook hands in Brook-land
Army fatigue break up teams, the enemies
Look man, you want to see me locked up, shot up
Cryin, know my friends is lyin'
Y'all know who killed 'em, filled 'em with the Lugers from they Rugers
Or they Desert, dyin' ain't the shit but it's pleasant
Kinda quiet, watch my niggaz bring the riot
Giving cats the opposite of diets
You gain thirty pounds when you die no lie, lazy eye
I was high when they hit me, took a few cats with me
Shit, I need the company
Apologies in order, to T'Yanna my daughter
If it was up to me you would be with me, sorta like
Daddy dearest, my vision be the clearest
Silencers so you can't hear it
Competition still fear it, shit don't ask me
I went from ashy to nasty to classy, and still
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
This goes out to cats, fingers in they ass again
Fifty dollar half-a-men, day dreamin'
Fuck around get wet like semen, your whole team-and
Be more gone than freemen
I took the cream and, moved to new places new faces
Fuck the screw faces, when I flip
I make the papers, dangerous, we Goodfellas
Niggaz can't bang with us, try to do me
My crew be unruly (What)
To old school cats that call gats toolies
Call blacks moolies, think it's cool to smoke woolies
And fuck without rubbers (what) specialize
In killin' wives and grandmothers, who ya trustin', shit
When Frank start bustin', Frank start somethin'
Killin ya gently, God meant me, to push a Bentley
Me and Sean Combs takin' broads home
On the phone with the chip, these Cristal chips
Bought to make our own porno flicks, my life's the shit
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
We used to hold the gold, now we floss with diamonds
Niggaz want my team to stop shinin'
Pray my fame start declinin'
Windin' like girlies
We been around the world twice, all we got is mo' ice
In moonlights, sacrifice your heart
Lexus with the automatic start (What)
Fifty shots'll tear your club apart
Eatin' shrimp A La Carte, with some bitches from Brussels
Eatin' clams and mussels
Octopus, pretty face no waist
I just want the bush, so I can mack you
Give her a package to push, 'cause I work dem hoes
Pendejos, I show you how to play them hoes
Can you just visualize it
Before I go to sleep I check the beds and the closet
So I can sleep safe, not too many keep a mill' in the briefcase
Infrareds help me sleep safe, but wait
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
The lyrics to The Notorious B.I.G. Feat. DMC's song My Downfall paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities faced by rappers in the music industry. The song opens with Biggie dreaming "filthy," perhaps representing the gritty and sometimes tragic nature of his reality. He reflects on his mixed heritage, his mother's Jamaican Rum and Whiskey, and his potentially deadly situation in the violent world of Brooklyn. Biggie vividly describes the consequences of his life, including death and his mother's grief at his funeral. He also acknowledges his involvement in criminal activity and his acceptance of death as a "pleasant" release from this dangerous life.
Despite the danger and negativity that surrounds him, Biggie remains confident in his success and his crew's invincibility. He details his luxurious lifestyle with his lavish cars, Cristal champagne, and worldwide travels. He boasts of his team's resilience, referring to them as "Goodfellas" who can't be stopped. Although Biggie's success has attracted attention and envy from other rappers, Biggie remains unfazed, knowing that those who pray for his downfall are simply jealous and powerless against him.
The lyrics of this song are a clear reflection of Biggie's life and the harsh realities he faced in the music industry. He had to navigate through dangerous streets and jealous competitors, but he remained confident in his skills and the loyalty of his crew.
Line by Line Meaning
Uhh, I dream filthy
I have dirty dreams
My moms and pops mixed me with Jamaican Rum and Whiskey
My parents gave birth to me and mixed Jamaican Rum and Whiskey into my being
Huh, what a set up
What a trick life has played on me
Shoulda pushed 'em dead off, wipe the sweat off
I should have killed my parents and wiped them away like sweat
'Cause in this world I'm dead off, squeeze lead off
I am already dead in this world, so I'll just fire some bullets
Benz sped off, ain't no shook hands in Brook-land
I drove away, there's no time or trust for handshakes in Brooklyn
Army fatigue break up teams, the enemies
Wearing army fatigues, break up opposing teams (enemies)
Look man, you want to see me locked up, shot up
You want to see me imprisoned or dead
Moms crotched up over the casket, screamin Bastard!
My mother is hunched over my casket, screaming at me
Cryin, know my friends is lyin'
Crying, I know my friends are lying
Y'all know who killed 'em, filled 'em with the Lugers from they Rugers
You all know who killed my friends, they shot them with Lugers from their Rugers
Or they Desert, dyin' ain't the shit but it's pleasant
Sometimes dying is not that bad, especially if done with a Desert Eagle (gun)
Kinda quiet, watch my niggaz bring the riot
It's almost peaceful, watching my friends cause chaos
Giving cats the opposite of diets
Feeding people unhealthy foods
You gain thirty pounds when you die no lie, lazy eye
When you die, your eyes get droopy and you gain weight
I was high when they hit me, took a few cats with me
I was under the influence when I got shot, and some people were shot with me
Shit, I need the company
I want to be with others, even in death
Apologies in order, to T'Yanna my daughter
I'm sorry to my daughter, T'Yanna
If it was up to me you would be with me, sorta like Daddy dearest, my vision be the clearest
If I had the choice, you would be with me, like the movie 'Mommie Dearest,' my vision is clear
Silencers so you can't hear it
Using silencers on guns so that the shots are quieter
Competition still fear it, shit don't ask me
Other rappers are still afraid of me, don't ask me why
I went from ashy to nasty to classy, and still
I've gone from being broke and dirty to being clean and classy, but still
That's not all, MC's have the gall To pray and pray for my downfall Pray and pray for my downfall Pray and pray for my downfall
Other rappers have the nerve to wish for my failure
This goes out to cats, fingers in they ass again Fifty dollar half-a-men, day dreamin' Fuck around get wet like semen, your whole team-and Be more gone than freemen
This is for those guys who stick fingers in their butts, those who are cheap, losers who daydream, if you mess around, you'll get wet (with blood) like semen, and your entire team will disappear
I took the cream and, moved to new places new faces Fuck the screw faces
I took the money and left to new places to meet new people, and I don't care about fake smiles
When I flip I make the papers, dangerous, we Goodfellas Niggaz can't bang with us, try to do me My crew be unruly (What)
When I change things up, I make the newspapers, we are dangerous like the movie Goodfellas, people can't mess with us, and if they try to they'll face consequences
To old school cats that call gats toolies Call blacks moolies, think it's cool to smoke woolies And fuck without rubbers (what) specialize In killin' wives and grandmothers, who ya trustin', shit
To those old school guys who call guns 'toolies,' call black people 'moolies,' think it's cool to smoke blunts (woolies) without protection and specialize in killing women, who can you trust?
When Frank start bustin' Frank start somethin' Killin ya gently, God meant me, to push a Bentley Me and Sean Combs takin' broads home On the phone with the chip, these Cristal chips Bought to make our own porno flicks, my life's the shit
When I start shooting, I start something, killing people gently. I was meant by God to drive a Bentley. Me and Sean Combs (P. Diddy) are taking women home, talking on the phone through luxury phones, drinking Cristal champagne, and planning to produce our own porn films. My life is great.
We used to hold the gold, now we floss with diamonds Niggaz want my team to stop shinin' Pray my fame start declinin'
We used to have money, now we have expensive jewelry. People want us to stop being successful and they're even praying for it.
Windin' like girlies We been around the world twice, all we got is mo' ice In moonlights, sacrifice your heart Lexus with the automatic start (What) Fifty shots'll tear your club apart Eatin' shrimp A La Carte, with some bitches from Brussels Eatin' clams and mussels Octopus, pretty face no waist I just want the bush, so I can mack you Give her a package to push, 'cause I work dem hoes Pendejos, I show you how to play them hoes Can you just visualize it
Living extravagantly, we have traveled around the world twice and only have more jewelry to show for it. Under moonlight, sacrifice your heart. I have a luxurious car with automatic start, and 50 shots will tear apart your club. Eating fancy seafood with girls from Brussels. Enjoying delicious food with attractive women. I just want the pubic hair so I can have sex with you. I'll give her a bundle of money to persuade her to do so because I work women. I'll show you how to manipulate women. Can you just imagine?
Before I go to sleep I check the beds and the closet So I can sleep safe, not too many keep a mill' in the briefcase
Before I go to sleep, I check the beds and the closet so that I can feel safe. Not many people keep millions of dollars in their briefcases like I do.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DARRYL MATTHEWS MCDANIELS, SEAN J. COMBS, CHRISTOPHER WALLACE, CARLOS DARONDE BROADY, NASHIEM MYRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rayan
[Verse 1: The Notorious B.I.G.]
Uhh, I dream filthy
My moms and pops mixed me with Jamaican Rum and Whiskey
Huh, what a set up
Shoulda pushed 'em dead off, wipe the sweat off
'Cause in this world I'm dead off, squeeze lead off
Benz sped off, ain't no shook hands in Brook-land
Army fatigue break up teams, the enemies
Look man, you want to see me locked up, shot up
Moms crotched up over the casket, screamin Bastard!
Cryin, know my friends is lyin'
Y'all know who killed 'em, filled 'em with the Lugers from they Rugers
Or they Desert, dyin' ain't the shit but it's pleasant
Kinda quiet, watch my niggaz bring the riot
Giving cats the opposite of diets
You gain thirty pounds when you die no lie, lazy eye
I was high when they hit me, took a few cats with me
Shit, I need the company
Apologies in order, to T'Yanna my daughter
If it was up to me you would be with me, sorta like
Daddy dearest, my vision be the clearest
Silencers so you can't hear it
Competition still fear it, shit don't ask me
I went from ashy to nasty to classy, and still
[Chorus: DMC]
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
[Verse 2: The Notorious B.I.G.]
This goes out to cats, fingers in they ass again
Fifty dollar half-a-men, day dreamin'
Fuck around get wet like semen, your whole team-and
Be more gone than freemen
I took the cream and, moved to new places new faces
Fuck the screw faces, when I flip
I make the papers, dangerous, we Goodfellas
Niggaz can't bang with us, try to do me
My crew be unruly (What)
To old school cats that call gats toolies
Call blacks moolies, think it's cool to smoke woolies
And fuck without rubbers (what) specialize
In killin' wives and grandmothers, who ya trustin', shit
When Frank start bustin', Frank start somethin'
Killin ya gently, God meant me, to push a Bentley
Me and Sean Combs takin' broads home
On the phone with the chip, these Cristal chips
Bought to make our own porno flicks, my life's the shit
[Chorus: DMC]
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
[Verse 3: The Notorious B.I.G. (Puff Daddy)]
We used to hold the gold, now we floss with diamonds
Niggaz want my team to stop shinin'
Pray my fame start declinin'
Windin' like girlies
We been around the world twice, all we got is mo' ice
In moonlights, sacrifice your heart
Lexus with the automatic start (What)
Fifty shots'll tear your club apart
Eatin' shrimp A La Carte, with some bitches from Brussels
Eatin' clams and mussels
Octopus, pretty face no waist
I just want the bush, so I can mack you
Give her a package to push, 'cause I work dem hoes
Pendejos, I show you how to play them hoes
Can you just visualize it
Before I go to sleep I check the beds and the closet
So I can sleep safe, not too many keep a mill' in the briefcase
Infrareds help me sleep safe, but wait
[Chorus: DMC]
That's not all, MC's have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
Pray and pray for my downfall
[Chorus: DMC]
That's not all, MC's have the gall (they pray, they pray)
To pray and pray for my downfall (they pray)
Pray and pray for my downfall (they pray)
Pray and pray for my downfall, fall
(They pray, they pray, they pray, they pray)
(They pray, they pray)
GRAND
Damn near 30yrs gone. His flow, wordplay and presence, still felt more than most cats coming out today. BIG was way ahead of his time. 🙏🏾🎤🔥👑
Dagen Hall
That's 💯!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
House Of Clubs
Only 25 yr old
Mr Swaby
Truth 😢
🧐
Gods child. ❤
NEVER HUNGRY AGAIN
@House Of Clubs 24
R. Roberts
Best song on the album right here. The beat, verses, chorus, vibe, intro, outro, etc. is 🔥🔥🔥
Mr Swaby
💯
Oscar Arroyo
Everything is perfect!! From the intro talking shit to the hater! 🔥🥃
Carlton Banks
@Oscar Arroyo Al Green organ and strings sample 🔥🔥