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.
What You Want
The Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y'all better be swift with that punch button Jack
Biggie, Biggie
I know how it feel to wake up fucked up
Pockets broke as hell, another rock to sell
People look at you like youse the user
Selling drugs to all the losers, mad buddha abuser
Baby on the way mad bills to pay
That's why you drink Tanqueray, so you can reminisce
and wish, you wasn't livin so devilish, shit
I remember I was just like you
Smokin' blunts with my crew, flippin over 62's
'Cause G-E-D, wasn't B-I-G
I had to get P-A-I-D, that's why my moms hate me
She was forced to kick me out, no doubt
Then I figured out licks went for twenty down South
Packed up my tools for my raw power move
Glock 19 for casket and flower moves
For chumps tryin' to stop my flow
And what they don't know will show on the autopsy
Went to see Papi, to cop me a brick
Asked for some consignment, he wasn't tryin' to hear it
Smoking mad Newports 'cause I'm due in court
For an assault, that I caught, in Bridgeport, New York
Catch me if you can like the Gingerbread Man
You better have your gat in hand, 'cause man
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
I had the master plan
I'm in the Caravan on my way to Maryland
With my man Two-TECs to take over this projects
They call him Two-TECs, he tote two TECs
And when he start to bust he like to ask, "Who's next?"
I got my honey on the Amtrak
With the crack in the crack of her ass
Two pounds of hash in the stash
I wait for hon' to make some quick cash
I told her she could be Lieutenant, bitch got gassed
At last, I'm literally loungin' black
Sittin' back, countin' double digit thousand stacks
Had to re-up, see what's up with my peeps
Toyota Deal-a-Thon had it cheap on the Jeeps
See who got smoked, what rumors was spread
Last I heard I was dead with six to the head
Then I got the phone call, it couldn't hit me harder
We got infiltrated, like Nino at the Carter
Heard TEC got murdered in a town I never heard of
By some bitch named Alberta over nickel-plated burners
And my bitch swear to God she won't snitch
I told her when she hit the bricks I'll make the hooker rich
Conspiracy, she'll be home in three
Until then I looks out for the whole family
A true G, that's me, blowing like a bubble
In the everyday struggle
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
I'm seeing body after body and our mayor Guiliani
Ain't tryin' to see no black man turn to John Gotti
Guns and diamonds
Bitches put they tongues where the sun ain't shinin'
Take ki's 'til they spot us, snakes flee with consignment
This kid he got his crib rated, police found grams
They locked up, his whole fam, moms, sister, his old man
Nigga bailed his moms out, then he told on his man
Now they home, actin' like nuttin' wrong, hustlin' again
He tried to be the next Frank White, and Escobar
Pickin' up coke, a fiend holds it in a separate car
Cooks it up 'til it's bright white, cut it tight right
Then he slings it to the fiends, lookin' like Fright Night
Coppin' the motorbikes, the scooters, countin' dough on computers
High technology dealers, to the users and losers
Half-leg DiDi, try to swap drug for TV's
Stores run out of baking soda from BK to QB
My niggaz die for the cause, .45 on the drawer
City laws made by Big, Nas and Biggie Smalls
Bitches, holdin' my weight in they titties and bras
My bitches out of state get busy while they pushin' my cars
Callin' me up, callin' me baller, call for they cut
Pretty hoes bring me my cash, swallow all of this nut
Seats on the Bent' say 'Nasty'
Push the dash for the stash box is where the cash be, watchin' for task force
'Cause I know they comin' but I'm reachin' my goal
Fuck bummin', I'm makin' sure I leave this whole game wit somethin'
Crib in West Palms for my dime, crib for my moms
Ridiculous, you lookin' at the next Nicholas Barnes, baby
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
The lyrics of What You Want by The Notorious B.I.G. are typical of the gangsta rap style, focusing on themes of drug dealing, violence, and living a life in poverty. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with Biggie warning his opponents that he's ready for the brawl that's coming. The song's first verse deals with the struggles of a drug dealer, the stress of the job, and the constant pressure to make money. Biggie goes on to share that he had started his career as a drug dealer, but he managed to make it out due to his sheer determination to get paid. The following verses elaborate on the drug world and the violence that comes with it, culminating in a reflection on his success, which he attributes to his determination to make something of himself.
The song serves as a dual collaboration between The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, with Jay-Z providing the background vocals, particularly in the chorus. As is typical of many of their collaborations, the song's production is impressive, and both artists showcase their lyrical prowess with their verses. The lyrics hook listeners with its honesty, detailing the very real struggle of many people living in poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
Wooo! There's gonna be a lot of punchin' in this motherfucker
This is going to be an intense and aggressive song
Y'all better be swift with that punch button Jack
Be prepared to react quickly and efficiently
Biggie, Biggie
Just emphasizing The Notorious B.I.G.'s name
I know how it feel to wake up fucked up
I understand the experience of waking up in a bad situation
Pockets broke as hell, another rock to sell
Having no money and having to sell drugs to make ends meet
People look at you like youse the user
Others judge you and assume you are a drug addict
Selling drugs to all the losers, mad buddha abuser
Engaging in drug dealing with those who are addicted to marijuana
But they don't know about your stress-filled day
Nobody understands the pressure and stress you face daily
Baby on the way mad bills to pay
Expecting a child and struggling to cover the expenses
That's why you drink Tanqueray, so you can reminisce
Using Tanqueray alcohol as a way to escape and reflect on better times
and wish, you wasn't livin so devilish, shit
Desiring to live a different and less troubled lifestyle
I remember I was just like you
I can relate to your circumstances and struggles
Smokin' blunts with my crew, flippin over 62's
Smoking marijuana with friends and driving expensive cars
'Cause G-E-D, wasn't B-I-G
Having a General Educational Development certificate was not enough for me
I had to get P-A-I-D, that's why my moms hate me
I had to make money and become successful, which caused my mother to resent me
She was forced to kick me out, no doubt
My mother had no choice but to evict me from her home
Then I figured out licks went for twenty down South
I realized I could make money by engaging in illegal activities in the southern states
Packed up my tools for my raw power move
I gathered my resources and prepared for a dangerous and influential action
Glock 19 for casket and flower moves
Carrying a Glock 19 handgun for both violent and funeral situations
For chumps tryin' to stop my flow
Those who attempt to hinder my progress and success
And what they don't know will show on the autopsy
The truth about their ignorance and underestimation of me will be revealed after their demise
Went to see Papi, to cop me a brick
Visited a drug supplier named Papi to purchase a large quantity of drugs
Asked for some consignment, he wasn't tryin' to hear it
Requested drugs on credit, but Papi was unwilling to agree
Smoking mad Newports 'cause I'm due in court
Frequently smoking Newport cigarettes because I have a court appearance coming up
For an assault, that I caught, in Bridgeport, New York
Being charged with assault for an incident that occurred in Bridgeport, New York
Catch me if you can like the Gingerbread Man
Attempting to outrun and avoid capture, like the Gingerbread Man from the children's story
You better have your gat in hand, 'cause man
It is crucial to be armed and ready for protection
I had the master plan
I devised a highly detailed and strategic plan
I'm in the Caravan on my way to Maryland
Traveling in a Caravan vehicle heading towards Maryland
With my man Two-TECs to take over this projects
Accompanied by my friend named Two-TECs, prepared to seize control of the housing projects
They call him Two-TECs, he tote two TECs
Two-TECs is known for carrying and using two Tec-9 submachine guns
And when he start to bust he like to ask, "Who's next?"
When Two-TECs starts firing his guns, he taunts and challenges others to face the same fate
I got my honey on the Amtrak
My female companion is traveling on the Amtrak train
With the crack in the crack of her ass
She is concealing crack cocaine between her buttocks
Two pounds of hash in the stash
I have two pounds of hashish hidden in a secret location
I wait for hon' to make some quick cash
I rely on my partner to make money quickly and efficiently
I told her she could be Lieutenant, bitch got gassed
I flattered and inflated her ego by suggesting she could have a high-ranking position
At last, I'm literally loungin' black
Finally, I can relax and enjoy life in a comfortable manner
Sittin' back, countin' double digit thousand stacks
Relaxing while counting and accumulating large amounts of money
Had to re-up, see what's up with my peeps
Needed to replenish my supply of drugs and check in with my associates
Toyota Deal-a-Thon had it cheap on the Jeeps
There was a special promotion on Jeeps at the Toyota dealership, offering them at a discounted price
See who got smoked, what rumors was spread
Investigate who has been killed and what rumors have been circulating
Last I heard I was dead with six to the head
The latest information suggested I had been killed with six gunshot wounds to the head
Then I got the phone call, it couldn't hit me harder
Received a phone call that delivered shocking and devastating news
We got infiltrated, like Nino at the Carter
Our plans and operation were compromised, similar to the character Nino Brown in the movie 'New Jack City'
Heard TEC got murdered in a town I never heard of
Learned that TEC, a friend or associate, was killed in an unfamiliar location
By some bitch named Alberta over nickel-plated burners
TEC's murder was carried out by a woman named Alberta using firearms with nickel-plated finishes
And my bitch swear to God she won't snitch
My female companion promises she will not provide information to the authorities
I told her when she hit the bricks I'll make the hooker rich
Promised to financially support and reward her when she is released from prison
Conspiracy, she'll be home in three
Charged with participating in a criminal conspiracy, and expected to be released in three years
Until then I looks out for the whole family
In the meantime, I will take care of and protect the entire family
A true G, that's me, blowing like a bubble
I embody the characteristics of a true gangster, living a lavish lifestyle
In the everyday struggle
Navigating and surviving through the challenges and hardships of life
I'm seeing body after body and our mayor Guiliani
Witnessing numerous deaths and the political leadership of Mayor Guiliani
Ain't tryin' to see no black man turn to John Gotti
The mayor doesn't want African Americans to become prominent figures in organized crime like John Gotti
Guns and diamonds
Engaging in the illegal firearms trade and possessing valuable diamonds
Bitches put they tongues where the sun ain't shinin'
Women perform sexual acts in secret and forbidden places
Take ki's 'til they spot us, snakes flee with consignment
Transporting large quantities of drugs until we are detected, and informants steal the merchandise
This kid he got his crib rated, police found grams
This individual had his home raided, and the police discovered a significant amount of drugs
They locked up, his whole fam, moms, sister, his old man
As a result, his entire family, including his mother, sister, and father, were arrested and imprisoned
Nigga bailed his moms out, then he told on his man
He paid to release his mother from jail, but then provided information about his associate to the authorities
Now they home, actin' like nuttin' wrong, hustlin' again
Now that they are released, they pretend nothing is amiss and resume their illegal activities
He tried to be the next Frank White, and Escobar
He aspired to become the next influential and powerful figures like Frank White and Pablo Escobar
Pickin' up coke, a fiend holds it in a separate car
Purchasing cocaine while a drug addict holds it in a different vehicle
Cooks it up 'til it's bright white, cut it tight right
Processing the cocaine until it becomes pure and cutting it properly
Then he slings it to the fiends, lookin' like Fright Night
Selling the cocaine to addicts, who appear scary and desperate
Coppin' the motorbikes, the scooters, countin' dough on computers
Purchasing motorcycles and scooters and counting money using computers
High technology dealers, to the users and losers
Engaging in drug dealing with advanced technology, catering to both casual users and desperate addicts
Half-leg DiDi, try to swap drug for TV's
An individual named DiDi attempts to trade drugs for televisions
Stores run out of baking soda from BK to QB
The demand for baking soda, a key ingredient in drug production, is so high that stores in Brooklyn and Queens run out of supply
My niggaz die for the cause, .45 on the drawer
My associates are willing to die for our mission, keeping a .45 caliber handgun nearby
City laws made by Big, Nas and Biggie Smalls
Influential artists like Big, Nas, and Biggie Smalls have significant power and influence over the city's laws
Bitches, holdin' my weight in they titties and bras
Women are hiding and carrying my drugs and money in their breasts and bras
My bitches out of state get busy while they pushin' my cars
My female associates in other states are actively working while driving my cars
Callin' me up, callin' me baller, call for they cut
They contact me, referring to me as a successful and wealthy individual, and asking for their share of the profits
Pretty hoes bring me my cash, swallow all of this nut
Attractive women bring me my money, and they eagerly consume my wealth
Seats on the Bent' say 'Nasty'
The seats in my Bentley vehicle have a brand name that implies luxury and indulgence
Push the dash for the stash box is where the cash be, watchin' for task force
Activating the dashboard in order to access the hidden compartment where I store my money, while remaining vigilant for police surveillance
'Cause I know they comin' but I'm reachin' my goal
Anticipating that law enforcement is closing in on me, but I am still focused on achieving my objectives
Fuck bummin', I'm makin' sure I leave this whole game wit somethin'
Rejecting a life of struggle and poverty, I am determined to exit the criminal world with substantial wealth
Crib in West Palms for my dime, crib for my moms
I have a luxurious residence in West Palms for my girlfriend and a comfortable home for my mother
Ridiculous, you lookin' at the next Nicholas Barnes, baby
My success and wealth are unparalleled, and I am on par with famous individuals like Nicholas Barnes
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
Join me in my lifestyle and experiences, I truly want to enlighten you
How I run the streets, I really wanna show you
I want to demonstrate my expertise in navigating and dominating the criminal world
How I'm clockin' G's, I really wanna show you
I want to display how I am making large sums of money
Come and roll with me, I really wanna show you
Join me in my lifestyle and experiences, I truly want to enlighten you
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN ROY SCOTT, CHRISTOPHER WALLACE, DONALD DEGRATE, ED FOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Truu2it
No one can replicate this kind of energy behind the mic. This man was a prodigy to the game RIP BIG.
@PeekaBooo23
The ultimate music to fight and drive aggressively to!! RIP Notorious BIG
@thebossman80s
I hope your not forgetting your seat belt in all this excitement π
@PeekaBooo23
Charly of course! Safety's always first while driving 110 in a 50 cursing out the world....ππ
@agodnouininique9668
I'm way too ol. To the first degree lulz. Adam
@Mookaron
A state trooper told me I was driving aggressively, but let me go with a warning! β
@mariaalmeida5175
Ridin' dirty..
@iggy5895
Biggie must have been a dragon because all he did was spit fire!
@IndistreeHolla
Miss this dude.
@evanlyons1301
He better than all the βLilβsβ combined...