The Notorious B.I.G.

	The Notorious Big
Background information
Birth name	Christopher George Latore Wallace
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, songwriter, singer, record producer
Years active	1992-1997
Associated acts	Sean Combs, Method Man, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Total, 112, The Commission
rapper

This article covers only those aspects of the subject that are related to the career of Duran Duran.
A much more complete treatment can be seen in the The Notorious B.I.G. article at Wikipedia.

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls, Frank White, and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.

His posthumous 1999 album Life After Death, co-produced by Michael Patterson, includes the tribute song "Notorious B.I.G.", sampling Duran Duran's "Notorious". The track also features Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim.

The song peaked at Number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and was included on the soundtrack to the documentary film Biggie & Tupac.

Biography[]

Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during the peak years of the 1980s crack epidemic and started dealing drugs at an early age. When Wallace released his debut album with the 1994 record Ready to Die, he was a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released fifteen days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000. Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time.