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.
SomeBody
The Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, uh
I'm sittin' in the crib dreamin' about Lear jets and coupes
The way Salt shoops and how to sell records like Snoop (oops)
I'm interrupted by a doorbell
3:52, who the hell is this?
I gets up quick, cocks my shit
Its a face that I seen before
My nigga Sing, he used to sling on the 16th floor
Check it
I look deeper, I see blood up on his sneakers
And his fist gripped a chrome four-fifth
So I dip
Nigga, is you creepin' or speakin'?
He tells me C-Rock just got hit up at the Beacon
I opens up the door, pitiful, "Is he in critical?"
Retaliation for this one won't be minimal
'Cause I'm a criminal way before the rap shit
Bust the gat shit, Puff won't even know what happened
If it's done smoothly, silencers on the Uzi
Stash in the hooptie, my alibi, any cutie
With a booty that done fuck Big Pop
Head spinnin', reminiscin' 'bout my man C-Rock
Somebody got to die
If I go, you got to go
Somebody got to die
Let the gunshots blow
Somebody got to die
Nobody got to know
That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch
Somebody got to die
If I go, you got to go
Somebody got to die
Let the gunshots blow
Somebody got to die
Nobody got to know
That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch
Uh, fillin' clips, he explained our situation
Precisely, so we know exactly what we facin'
"Some kid named Jason in a Honda station wagon
Was braggin' about how much loot and crack he stackin'
Rock had a grip so they formed up a clique
A small crew, 'round the time I was locked up with you"
"True indeed"
"But, yo, nigga, let me proceed
Don't fill them clips too high, give them bullets room to breathe
Damn, where was I? Yeah, run out of town, blew the fuck up
D-Rock went home and Jay got stuck the fuck up
Hit 'em twice, caught 'em right for the Persian white
Pistol whipped his kids and taped up his wife (niggas is trife)
He figured Rock set him up, no question
Wet 'em up no less than 50 shots in his direction"
"How many shots?"
Man, nigga, I seen mad holes"
"What kinda gats?"
"Hitchlinks, Kochs and Calicos"
But fuck that
I know where all them niggas rest at
In the buildin' hustlin' and they don't be strapped
Supreme and Black is downstairs, the engine runnin'
Find a bag to put the guns in and come on if you're comin'
Somebody got to die
If I go, you got to go
Somebody got to die
Let the gunshots blow
Somebody got to die
Nobody got to know
That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch
Somebody got to die
If I go, you got to go
Somebody got to die
Let the gunshots blow
Somebody got to die
Nobody got to know
That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch
Uh, exchanged hugs and pounds before the throw down
How it's gon' go down
Lay these niggas low-down
"Slow down, uh, fuck all that plannin' shit
Run up in they cribs and make them cats abandon ship"
See niggas like you do ten year bids
Miss the nigga they want and murder innocent kids
Not I
One nigga's in my eye, that's Jason
Ain't no slugs gon' be wasted
Revenge I'm tastin' at the tip of my lips
I can't wait to feel my clip in his hips
"Pass the chocolate, Thai"
Sing ain't lie
There's Jason with his back to me
Talkin' to his faculty
I start to get a funny feeling
Put the mask on in case his niggas start squealin'
Scream his name out (ayo, playboy)
Squeeze six, nothin' shorter
Nigga turned around holdin' his daughter
The Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Somebody's Gotta Die" is a grim and violent tale. The song tells the story of a drive-by shooting and the moments leading up to it. The singer's friend brings him news of a shooting, and he decides to take revenge on the killers. Together with his crew, they plan to ambush the shooters' meeting place and take them out. The lyrics are dark and menacing, and the song is a prime example of Biggie's storytelling skills.
The lyrics elaborate extensively on the singer's anger and thirst for revenge. His attitude is reflected in the song's chorus that repeats, "Somebody got to die, Let the gunshots blow, Nobody got to know, That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch." He is ready to take down anyone who gets in his way, and he won't hesitate to kill innocent people to get to his target. The song's story concludes with a twist as the target of the revenge turns out to be holding his daughter.
Biggie's storytelling in "Somebody's Gotta Die" showcases his ability to evoke emotions and images with his words. The song is a reminder of Biggie's keen understanding of human nature and his ability to craft a gripping narrative. While it's undoubtedly a violent song, it's also a compelling one that leaves the listener with a sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sittin' in the crib dreamin' about Lear jets and coupes
The singer is fantasizing about the lavish lifestyle of owning private jets and luxury cars.
The way Salt shoops and how to sell records like Snoop (oops)
The singer is paying attention to the music scene and analyzing the success of Salt-n-Pepa and Snoop Dogg.
3:52, who the hell is this?
The singer is startled by a late-night visitor and wonders who could be at the door.
I gets up quick, cocks my shit
The artist quickly gets up from bed and prepares their gun for potential danger.
Stop the dogs from barkin', then proceed to walkin'
The artist quiets their dogs to avoid alerting the visitor and then cautiously approaches the door.
Its a face that I seen before
The singer recognizes the visitor's face from a previous encounter.
My nigga Sing, he used to sling on the 16th floor
The singer identifies the visitor as their friend Sing who used to sell drugs at a certain location.
I look deeper, I see blood up on his sneakers
The artist notices blood on Sing's shoes which makes him concerned about Sing's safety.
And his fist gripped a chrome four-fifth
Sing is holding a gun which the artist identifies as a .45 caliber.
So I dip, nigga, is you creepin' or speakin'?
The artist suspects that Sing might be there to harm him and decides to leave. He questions Sing's intentions.
He tells me C-Rock just got hit up at the Beacon
Sing informs the singer that their friend C-Rock has been shot at a specific location.
Retaliation for this one won't be minimal
The artist expresses that the response to C-Rock's shooting will be intense and violent.
'Cause I'm a criminal way before the rap shit
The singer implies that he has a criminal history and tendencies which have been present before his music career.
Bust the gat shit, Puff won't even know what happened
The singer plans to use his firearm without his business partner Puff Daddy's knowledge.
If it's done smoothly, silencers on the Uzi
The singer plans for the attack to be stealthy by using a silencer on his gun.
Stash in the hooptie, my alibi, any cutie
The artist will hide his weapon in his car and use an attractive woman as an alibi.
With a booty that done fuck Big Pop
The artist's alibi needs to be a sexual partner of his to avoid suspicion, and he mentions his own sexual prowess.
Head spinnin', reminiscin' 'bout my man C-Rock
The singer thinks about C-Rock and how he will avenge him causing him to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Somebody got to die
The singer establishes the necessity for violent retribution for C-Rock's shooting.
If I go, you got to go
The artist demands that his enemies will not go unpunished and will receive the same fate if he is killed.
Let the gunshots blow
The artist prepares for shooting and encourages the sound of gunshots.
Nobody got to know
The artist wants the shooting to remain a secret and not get exposed by anyone.
That I killed your ass in the mist, bitch
The singer insults his enemy and suggests that he will kill them without being seen (in the mist).
Uh, fillin' clips, he explained our situation
Sing explains the situation and the enemies the artist and his crew will face, while loading their guns.
Precisely, so we know exactly what we facin'
Sing provides detailed information to ensure that the group is aware of the situation they will walk into.
"Some kid named Jason in a Honda station wagon
The enemy's name is Jason, and he drives a Honda station wagon.
Was braggin' about how much loot and crack he stackin'
Jason boasted about his wealth and illegal activities such as drug dealing.
Rock had a grip so they formed up a clique
Jason has a lot of money, which caused other envious people, like Rock, to form a group to go after him.
A small crew, 'round the time I was locked up with you"
Rock's group consisted of only a few members who the artist is familiar with because they were previously incarcerated together.
"True indeed
The singer confirms Sing's statement.
But, yo, nigga, let me proceed
The singer interrupts Sing and urges him to continue his explanation.
Don't fill them clips too high, give them bullets room to breathe
The artist advises his crew to leave some gaps in their gun magazines to allow air to flow and prevent jams while shooting rapidly.
Damn, where was I?
The artist gets distracted and momentarily loses track of Sing's story.
Yeah, run out of town, blew the fuck up
Jason was forced to leave the area after his house was destroyed by explosives.
D-Rock went home and Jay got stuck the fuck up
One of Rock's members went home and Jason was robbed at gunpoint.
Hit 'em twice, caught 'em right for the Persian white
Jason was shot twice, with one bullet hitting his expensive car ('Persian white').
Pistol whipped his kids and taped up his wife (niggas is trife)
Jason's family was beaten and tied up, showing the cruel nature of Rock's group.
He figured Rock set him up, no question
Jason believed that Rock's group was behind the attack, without any doubt.
Wet 'em up no less than 50 shots in his direction"
Jason's revenge against Rock's group was extremely violent, with over 50 gunshots fired their way.
"How many shots?
One of the crew members asks how many shots were fired.
Man, nigga, I seen mad holes"
Sing responds by saying he saw multiple bullet holes in the building.
"What kinda gats?
The curious crew member asks what guns were used.
"Hitchlinks, Kochs and Calicos"
Sing lists the types of guns used, which include Hitchlinks, Kochs, and Calicos.
But fuck that
The artist dismisses the previous information shared by Sing that is no longer relevant.
I know where all them niggas rest at
The artist knows where Rock's group is located and where they sleep.
In the buildin' hustlin' and they don't be strapped
Rock's group is located in a building and is known for selling drugs, but they are not carrying guns for protection.
Supreme and Black is downstairs, the engine runnin'
Two members of Rock's group named Supreme and Black are waiting downstairs with their car's engine running.
Find a bag to put the guns in and come on if you're comin'
The group needs to find a bag to put their guns in and they need to hurry if they want to join the artist on his mission.
Exchanged hugs and pounds before the throw down
The group members exchange hugs and fist-bumps before they go into the violent confrontation.
How it's gon' go down
The singer wonders how the final fight will unfold and what will happen.
Lay these niggas low-down
The singer intends to kill all of Rock's crew.
"Slow down, uh, fuck all that plannin' shit
One of the crew members advises the artist to slow down and not get too caught up in the plan.
Run up in they cribs and make them cats abandon ship"
The crew member suggests that they go directly to the enemy's home and force them to flee.
See niggas like you do ten year bids
The singer warns the crew member that his reckless actions could land him in prison for a decade.
Miss the nigga they want and murder innocent kids
The singer warns the crew member that his actions could harm the wrong people, such as children.
Not I
The artist boasts that he will not make a mistake like that and is more calculated.
One nigga's in my eye, that's Jason
The artist focuses on attacking Jason more than anyone else.
Ain't no slugs gon' be wasted
The artist is determined not to miss his shots and waste ammunition.
Revenge I'm tastin' at the tip of my lips
The singer is consumed with the idea of revenge and it feels like it's within reach.
I can't wait to feel my clip in his hips
The artist is impatient and eager to shoot Jason in the hip area.
"Pass the chocolate, Thai"
The singer asks for a chocolate-flavored cigar.
Sing ain't lie
The singer confirms that Sing was telling the truth.
There's Jason with his back to me
The singer identifies Jason and notes that he is facing the other way.
Talkin' to his faculty
Jason is talking to his crew.
I start to get a funny feeling
The artist begins to feel uneasy about the situation.
Put the mask on in case his niggas start squealin'
The singer puts on a mask to hide his identity in case anyone from Jason's crew tries to alert the others.
Scream his name out (ayo, playboy)
The singer calls out Jason's name to get his attention.
Squeeze six, nothin' shorter
The artist shoots his gun six times, without wasting any bullets.
Nigga turned around holdin' his daughter
Jason turns around, but he is holding his young daughter in his arms, which makes the artist feel guilty and regretful.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Carlos Broady, Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Anthony Hester, Nashiem Myrick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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
@Cypherixx
🐐
@immlitty3703
Da real 🐐
@tajkillerscape
🙏
@tajkillerscape
Da goat
@-rapzen9a
❤️
@nyjaeparker9103
“don’t fill dem clips to high give them bullets room to breathe”. Coldest bar
@deseansuarez8008
This isn't a song, it's a movie 🍿🔥
@gordyhenderson695
Facts.... you can SEE what he was SAYING.... Nothing else needed to be said...
@TGO4125
Damn can't be trueer than that