Biggie, also known as The Notorious BIG was an American rapper. He has been described as the greatest rapper of all time by magazines such as The Source, Rolling Stone and Billboard. Unfortunately, between 1994 and 1997, Biggie was one of the leading figures in the East-West Coast hip-hop rivalry that defined the US hip-hop scene.
This rivalry would eventually take his life as well as that of another great rapper, Tupac Shakur. Find out more about Biggie’s life here including his children, marrying Faith Evans when he died etc.
East Coast West Coast Hip Hop Rivalry
Notorious BIG released his debut album, Ready To Die in 1994. The album was a huge success and cemented his arrival on the hip hop scene. He followed with successful collaborations with other artists, and by the end of 1995 was the best-selling male solo artist on the Billboard charts – not only in hip-hop but also in pop and R&B.
The Brooklyn native subsequently became involved in the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry, which was a battle for supremacy between the East Coast (New York) and West Coast (California) hip-hop scenes. The feud featured artists and fans on both sides of the divide. The East Coast side featured the likes of Biggie, Sean Combs and his Bad Boy Records, while the West Coast featured the likes of Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight and his Death Row Records.
Initially, the feud was mostly related to diss tracks by artists on both sides. However, things escalated when Tupac accused Notorious BIG and Combs of pulling off a robbery in which he was shot multiple times on November 30, 1994. Both denied the allegations, but Biggie released a song “Who Shot Ya” mocking Tupac for the robbery and shooting.
When did Biggie die?
The Notorious BIG died on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles. He had attended a party and was on his way back to his hotel when tragedy struck. Biggie and his entourage (including Combs) set out for their hotel in two different vehicles. At 12:45 PST, they pulled up at a red light a few miles from the party venue. While he was waiting at a stop light, a black car approached the vehicle carrying Biggie, and the driver pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired multiple shots at the truck. Biggie suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he passed out shortly thereafter.
His funeral took place nine days later on March 18. at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan. His funeral was attended by other music industry heavyweights. Biggie lay in an open mahogany coffin dressed in a white suit and his remains were cremated after the service.
Marriage to Faith Evans
Biggie married acclaimed R&B singer FaithEvans on August 4, 1994. The two met at a Bad Boys record label photo shoot and tied the knot just eight days after that first meeting. According to him, her looks and boldness drew him to her. He reportedly said to her when they first met, “You’re the kind of girl I would marry” and she replied, “Why not?”.
The couple welcomed their only child together, Christopher J. Wallace in October 1996. However, they separated shortly before Biggie’s death. Biggie herself attributed her marital troubles to the fact that they rushed into marriage and never took the time to get to know each other. The situation was also made worse by the fact that he cheated on Evans with other women, including rappers Lil Kim and Charli Baltimore.
The breakup was amicable and Evans moved on with her life. After the split, Evans began a relationship with music executive Todd Russaw and they welcomed a son Joshua in 1998. They later married in 1998 and welcomed another son, Ryder, in 2007. Evans and Todd divorced in 2011 over bad feelings towards Biggie, who she considers her first true love. He named her one of the executors of his estate and she works with Biggie’s mother to uphold his legacy.
Children – Daughter – T’yanna Wallace
Biggie’s first child is a daughter named T’yanna Wallace. She was born on August 8, 1993 and her mother is Jan Jackson, Biggie’s high school sweetheart and longtime friend. When T’yanna was born, Biggie was just forging his music career and as such did not have the resources to support his daughter. He turned to drug dealing until Sean Combs forced him to quit. T’yanna Wallace was only three years old when her father was murdered. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and is an aspiring fashion designer.
His second child is a son, Christopher JordanWallace, born to wife Faith Evans on October 29, 1996. Christopher was only a few months old when his father was murdered. He was raised by his mother, Faith, and stepfather, Todd Russaw. Following in his father’s footsteps, Christopher is currently an aspiring rapper and actor. He sees the fact that he’s the son of one of the greatest hip-hop artists in the world as more of a motivator and fuel than a pressure. Christopher played a young version of his father in the 2009 biopic Notorious .
controversy surrounding his death
It must be noted that more than two decades after the death of Notorious BIG, the murder has never been officially solved and no one has been accused of killing him. This is despite the fact that his death (like Tupac Shakur’s) was the subject of numerous police and FBI investigations, as well as numerous TV crime series. Accusing fingers were pointed at many, including the LAPD and Suge Knight (head of Death Row Records).
In 2006, LAPD detective Greg Kading began investigating the murders of Biggie and Tupac and later served as chairman of a federal government investigation task force. The investigation revealed that Sean Combs had paid a Compton Crip gang member, Orlando Anderson, to kill Tupac Shakur. They also discovered that Suge Knight had paid a member of the Mob Piru blood group, Wardell “Poochie” Fouse, to kill Biggie. However, Sean Diddy Combs has denied any involvement in Tupac’s murder.
The theories and speculation have continued unabated and some have even said that both Biggie and Tupac are still alive and living in outlying countries.