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.
Respect
The Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuh dis ah 94' when ah RAA fi kill people and kyaan dun
Nuh waan pussy hole hold di kaanah
Watch this, lawd
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Nineteen seventy somethin' nigga I don't sweat the date
My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
Out the skins in this world of fly girls
Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
Ten months in this gut what the fuck
I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
Wild juvenile rippin' mics and shit
New York New York ready for the likes of this uh
Then came the worst date May 21st
2:19, that's when my momma water burst
No spouse in the house so she rode for self
To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
On the drug scene, fuck a football team
Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
Hearin' the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream, I mean
I want to blow up, stack my dough up
So school I didn't show up, it fucked my flow up
Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it
Rap was secondary, money was necessary
Until I got incarcerated, kinda scary
C74-Mark 8 set me straight
Not able to move behind the great steel gate
Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?
All the money I stacked was all the money for bail
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Watch mi respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
Honey's is tantalizin', they freak all night
Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
And to my niggas livin' street life
Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Still tote your vest man, niggas be trippin'
In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slippin'
If I'm trippin' on The F with weed on my breath
Original hustler with the muffler on the TEC
Respect to the Mack's and the Ac's
To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Watch mi respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing
In a Biggie Small's thing, do it, Jah
Have mercy
The gunman inna di party
And everybody feel irie
And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me
Have mercy
The wul ah we in ah di party
And everybody look irie
Now di man them sexy, sexy, sexy
Do it!
No mercy fuh nuh big up unnu self
Cuh we nuh watch nuhtin to say or see
Hardcore ting we ah deal with
Oh yes, we are the best
No other guy cyaan
Say it mami, damn, why you actin' like that man?
'Cause I don't be doin' this
I'm sayin', you know it ain't nothin'
It's just part of sex, ya know'm saying
But you know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do this
I'm just sayin' mami, jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy
Just a little peck
Like that?
That's what I'm sayin', yeah
You know I don't be doin' this though tho', you know that
Whatever bitch, damnit
The lyrics of The Notorious B.I.G.'s song Respect are a mix of memories from different periods of his life. It starts with Biggie warning his friends not to glorify murderers, as it was a sensitive time in 1994 in which people were being killed. Then, the lyrics go back to his teenage years when he struggled and experienced a hard life. He talks about his mom being late to his birth, and he had to cut his umbilical cord because there was no one else around to help. Biggie reminisces on his time in the drug trade, trying to make enough money to live comfortably. The song also talks about maturing as a person and becoming wiser than when he was younger. Lastly, the song ends with a phone conversation with a girl, and Biggie tries to convince her to kiss him.
The lyrics from Respect reflect the notorious rapper's nostalgic approaches as he spoke about the past and his struggles that shaped who he has become. It is also worth noting that the song addresses the issue with the gun violence that was prevalent in the 90s, and it speaks out against people who glorify killers. Notorious B.I.G's flow and lyricism in the song point to his domination of the hip-hop genre.
Line by Line Meaning
No big up our gun men, seen? (Big up, big up)
Let's not give props to our gunmen, understand?
Cuh dis ah 94' when ah RAA fi kill people and kyaan dun
This is 1994, when there was an order to kill and not stop.
Nuh waan pussy hole hold di kaanah
I don't want a coward to hold the weapon.
Watch this, lawd
Listen carefully, dear god.
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
I give respect to all the gunmen.
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Only gunmen keep each other as friends.
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Curse all the informants.
Informer lone keep informer friend
Only informants keep each other as friends.
Nineteen seventy somethin' nigga I don't sweat the date
I don't care about the precise date of the past.
My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
My mother was late, so I had to find a way to escape my current situation.
Out the skins in this world of fly girls
I am pursuing women in this world of attractive and desirable women.
Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
I drank Tanqueray and Hennessy until it made me sick.
Ten months in this gut what the fuck
Being in my mother's womb for ten months was crazy.
I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
I wanted my mother to give birth faster so I could be more aggressive.
Wild juvenile rippin' mics and shit
I was a rebellious teenager who loved rapping.
New York New York ready for the likes of this uh
New York City is ready for my unique style of rapping.
Then came the worst date May 21st
Then came the worst day of my life on May 21st.
2:19, that's when my momma water burst
My mother's water broke at 2:19, which was the beginning of my difficult birth.
No spouse in the house so she rode for self
My mother had to go to the hospital by herself.
To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
She went to the hospital to seek medical assistance.
Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck at birth.
I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I was close to death before I even took my first steps in life.
I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
I survived and am now bringing joy.
The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"
The doctor looked at me and predicted that I will be a troublemaker.
Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
Now I'm thirteen, smoking marijuana, and making money.
On the drug scene, fuck a football team
I was more interested in the drug scene than playing football.
Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
By the time I turned sixteen, I was already taking dangerous risks.
Hearin' the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream, I mean
Hearing the coach yell at me is not my career aspiration.
I want to blow up, stack my dough up
I want to make a lot of money and become famous.
So school I didn't show up, it fucked my flow up
Skipping school messed up my rhythm and routine.
Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
My mother told me to mature and be responsible.
Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
Before I make bad decisions or embarrass myself.
Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
I couldn't picture my life without drugs, so I continued using them.
Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it
I want to be like the fictional character Scarface and become the King of New York.
Rap was secondary, money was necessary
Rapping was not my primary focus; making money was necessary.
Until I got incarcerated, kinda scary
I was terrified when I got arrested and thrown in jail.
C74-Mark 8 set me straight
Being incarcerated in the C74-Mark 8 correctional facility corrected my path.
Not able to move behind the great steel gate
I was confined behind bars and couldn't move or leave the prison.
Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?
I used my time in prison to reflect on my life and my mistakes.
All the money I stacked was all the money for bail
All the money I saved was used to pay for bail.
Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
In 1994, I am expanding my horizons and trying new things.
Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
My mom was happy to see my positive changes.
Honey's is tantalizin', they freak all night
Women are seductive and enjoyable to be with.
Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
Cautiously avoiding the police while staying out all night.
As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
When I wake up, I realize how much I have changed.
Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
I'm not that same crazy kid caught up in the drug game.
And to my niggas livin' street life
To my friends who still live a dangerous lifestyle.
Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Learn to live your life to the fullest and reduce stress.
Still tote your vest man, niggas be trippin'
Still carry your weapon for protection because others might act crazy.
In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slippin'
If you're out in the streets without a gun, you're in danger of being caught off guard.
If I'm trippin' on The F with weed on my breath
If I'm high on marijuana while riding the F train.
Original hustler with the muffler on the TEC
An experienced hustler with a silencer on his weapon.
Respect to the Mack's and the Ac's
I give respect to the pimps and drug dealers.
To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps
Shout out to my friends and the women riding in Jeeps who are shooting guns.
Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing
Now Diana King is rapping like an American.
In a Biggie Small's thing, do it, Jah
Now Diana King is rapping in the style of Biggie Smalls, so go ahead and do it, Jah.
The gunman inna di party
There is a shooter at the party.
And everybody feel irie
Despite the danger, everyone feels happy and relaxed.
And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me
Everyone is following Diana King's lead in partying.
The wul ah we in ah di party
All of us are in the party.
And everybody look irie
Everyone looks happy and chill.
Now di man them sexy, sexy, sexy
Now the men at the party are looking really attractive.
Do it!
Keep on partying!
No mercy fuh nuh big up unnu self
No mercy for those who praise themselves.
Cuh we nuh watch nuhtin to say or see
We don't pay attention to others' opinions.
Hardcore ting we ah deal with
We only deal with hardcore things.
Oh yes, we are the best
We are the best at what we do.
No other guy cyaan
No one else can match us.
Say it mami, damn, why you actin' like that man?
Come on, girl, why are you acting that way?
'Cause I don't be doin' this
I'm acting this way because I'm not used to this situation.
I'm sayin', you know it ain't nothin'
I'm telling you, it's not a big deal.
It's just part of sex, ya know'm saying
It's just a normal part of sexual activity, you know what I mean?
But you know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do this
But you know I don't normally do this, I don't even know how to do it properly.
I'm just sayin' mami, jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy
I'm just saying, girl, give me a little kiss, for your man.
Just a little peck
Just a small kiss.
Like that?
Is that okay?
That's what I'm sayin', yeah
That's what I mean, yes.
You know I don't be doin' this though tho', you know that
But you know I don't normally do this kind of thing, right?
Whatever bitch, damnit
Whatever, damnit.
Lyrics Β© JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrileyGabriel
Dude possessed, quite simply, the sickest flow in the history of the game....period!
@zanamasoud4160
@Sarel klienjie Vantonder its just opinions, different styles different opinions
@CapraDemon101
Not one like him. And that beat ooooof
@ERICGRIMEY1
2nd to nas bruh...
@ERICGRIMEY1
@Sarel klienjie Vantonder nas
@hanssl1838
@@zanamasoud4160 true.. I hate the debate.. Biggie is the best ever to me.. But my friends like 2 pac.. Thats ok.. Respect.. (But my friends are fucked and dont know anything)
@johnmccrossin8261
You can comfortably say that you don't have to skip any tracks on this album! π€€
@milkmedia1657
For real
@ionknomanee347
Just the awkward ass porn audio in the middle
@milkmedia1657
@@ionknomanee347 yes