The Notorious BIG is an American rap legend. The young man lived a short but bright life. He contributed to the development of the hip-hop music industry.
Unfortunately, not only music is associated with the name of the rapper. Difficult childhood, problems with illegal drugs and problems with the law bordered on the name of The Notorious BIG
Childhood and youth of Christopher George Luthor Wallace
Under the creative pseudonym The Notorious BIG, the modest name of Christopher George Luthor Wallace is hidden. The boy was born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn. Christopher grew up in poverty, which he mentioned more than once in interviews and in his work.
Today, all those who live in the United States of America call themselves Americans. Now in the country it is not customary to talk about nationality, but the mother and father of the future rap star were born in Jamaica.
It is known that Christopher grew up in an incomplete family. When the boy was only 2 years old, his father left the family. Mom had a very hard time.
Despite this, she tried her best to give to her son. The well-fed dark-skinned boy knew English and gravitated towards knowledge very much.
Already at the age of 12, Christopher was singing Salt-N-Pepa tracks. The young man rapped in public. But here another hobby was added - drug trafficking.
Mom did not suspect what path her son had taken, and if she had known, most likely, she would not have been able to influence his choice.
Soon Christopher asked his mother to transfer him to the school of George Westinghouse. Interestingly, there were a lot of young talents in this school.
The guys who later became stars studied here - Earl Simmons (future DMX), Sean Corey Carter (Beyoncé's husband, known under the pseudonym Jay-Z), Trevor George Smith Jr. (future 11-time Grammy nominee Busta Rhymes ).
In 1989, Christopher announced that he was dropping out of high school. Around the same time period, a young man was arrested for possession of a weapon.
The first term was conditional. But it seems that Christopher was not enough. Soon he again went to jail, this time for 9 months. It's all about the cocaine trade. Soon Christopher was released. He was bailed out.
The creative path and music of The Notorious BIG
The trade in illegal drugs did not prevent Christopher from immersing himself in the wonderful world of music. He quickly broke into the rap industry in the early 1990s.
The debut collection Ready to Die ("Ready to die") was released in 1993. Christopher became the main rapper of the East Coast of the United States. The singer did not count on such success.
The rapper's second collection, which received the prophetic title Life After Death ("Life after death"), was released after Christopher's death. XL magazine described the difference between the compilations as the distance between a dope street vendor and a drug lord.
Both collections are autobiographies. Christopher knew how to talk about his life perfectly, encrypting the smallest details with a "skillful" metaphor.
The personal life of an artist
In August 1993, Christopher had a daughter, who was named Tiana. A girl was born to him by his beloved. It is noteworthy that a few days before the birth, Christopher broke up with his girlfriend, but allowed her to give her his last name.
The rapper's personal life and concern for his daughter's financial support manifested itself in the work of The Notorious BIG In the track Juicy, the rapper said: "I sold drugs to feed my daughter."
A year later, Christopher married singer Faith Evans. The girl already had a child from a previous marriage.
Interestingly, in 2017, Faith Evans expanded her ex-husband's discography with the posthumous album The King & I. The collection is a mix of tracks by Christopher and Faith Evans.
In 1996, the lovers became the parents of a joint child. Faith wanted to name her son after his father. In the film The Notorious (2009), which is dedicated to the rapper The Notorious BIG, Christopher Jr. was entrusted to play the role of dad.
Death of The Notorious B.I.G.
The American rapper died on March 9, 1997. Christopher died from a gunshot wound. Of the 6 bullets fired by the killer, 4 hit the body of the star.
Despite the impressive "dimensions", it turned out to be a mortal wound (the rapper's height was 191 cm, and the weight at different periods of his life was from 130 to 160 kg).
In the summer of 2019, a section of New York's St. James Place was renamed Christopher Wallace Drive. The ceremony was attended by many stars, including the son and widow of the deceased.
