 
The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls) was born
Chris Wallace in Brooklyn, NY. In his youth, Biggie
spent nine months in prison for selling crack after
dropping out of high school. Legal problems (with
assaults, drugs, and weapons charges) continued into
his emergence as a successful rapper until his death
at age 24 in 1997. Biggie's success in music began
when his demo made it to the desk of Uptown Records
and eventually Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy) who took Biggie with him to
Bad Boy Records. Biggie's notoriety started when he
contributed a remix to Mary J. Blige's LP, What's
The 411?
and a track on the Who's The Man?
soundtrack.
Biggie topped the Billboard Hot
Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales chart for a week with
"Juicy."
August 4: Biggie married R&B singer
Faith Evans.
The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Juicy / Unbelievable."
 September 13: Biggie's debut release, Ready
To Die,
was released and established Biggie as a rapping
force in the industry.
The single "Juicy / Unbelievable" was certified gold and Ready
To Die
was certified gold.
 # 16
Singles Artist of the Year
Biggie hit the Top 40 with "Big Poppa."
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Billboard Hot Rap
Singles chart for 9 weeks with "Big Poppa/Warning."
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Hot Dance Music
Maxi-Singles Sales chart for a week with "Big Poppa/Warning."
The single "Big Poppa" was certified gold.
Biggie hit the Top 10 with "Big Poppa."
Ready
To Die
was certified platinum.
The Notorious B.I.G. helped out Total
with the Top 40 track "Can't You See."
The single "Big Poppa" was certified platinum.
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Billboard Singles
Sales chart for 5 weeks, the R&B Singles chart
for 9 weeks, the R&B Singles Sales chart for 9
weeks, and the Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales
chart for 5 weeks with "One More Chance/The What."
After a few modest hits on the radio, the Notorious
B.I.G. crossed over all music platforms in 1995 with
his Top 10 song "Big Poppa." The song became Biggie's
signature song and was followed up with another Top
10 hit, "One More Chance" (hitting the Top 40 in
June). Ready
To Die
sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. and
established Biggie as a premiere hip-hop artist
representing the East Coast sound of rap music.
Biggie also contributed his rap vocals to hits by
many other artists including Total,
the Junior M.A.F.I.A., 112, Da Brat, and
Lil' Kim.
As Biggie's East Coast rap sounds grew in popularity,
so did the rivalry between East and West Coast
rappers, especially with 2Pac.
The Notorious B.I.G. won 2 Billboard Music Awards for
Rap Artist of the Year and Rap Single of the Year
("One More
Chance").
The single "One More Chance" was certified platinum.
The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 10 with ""One More Chance."
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers as the Top Pop Artist - Male
(singles & albums), Top Hot 100 Singles Artist -
Male, Top R&B Artist - Male (singles &
albums), Top Hot R&B Singles Artist - Male, Top
Hot R&B Singles Sales ("One More Chance / Stay With Me"), Top Hot
Rap Artist, Top Hot Rap Single ("One More Chance / Stay With Me"), Top Hot
Rap Artist - Male, and Top Hot Dance Maxi-Singles
Sales Artist.
Ready
To Die
was certified 2x platinum.
 # 147
Singles Artist of the Year
The Notorious B.I.G. helped out the Junior
M.A.F.I.A. with "Get Money" and hit the Top 40.
The Notorious B.I.G. was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Big Poppa").
The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 helping out 112 with "Only You."
When 2Pac was murdered there was much
speculation that the Notorious B.I.G.'s camp was
involved in some manner. There was often talk that
Biggie and Combs may have been involved with a
robbery and shooting of 2Pac in 1994.
 # 32
Singles Artist of the Year
An arrest warrant was issued for the Notorious B.I.G.
in New Jersey after he did not show up to answer
assault charges in court. A civil court later ordered
Biggie to pay over $40,000 in damages to the man
while the criminal charges were pending. The charges
stem from a May, 1995 incident with a concert
promoter. Additional charges Biggie was facing
included charges from 1996 alleged drug and weapons
violations and an additional assault charge stemming
from a New York City nightclub incident.
 March 9: After a party for the Soul
Train Awards in Los Angeles, the Notorious B.I.G. was
shot and murdered at the age of 24. No one has been
arrested for the murder, but some have speculated it
might somehow be a retaliation for 2Pac's death. Biggie is survived by
his estranged wife, Faith Evans, and
2 children.
March 25: His second LP was released,
ironically titled Life
After Death. The LP debuted at #1 on the Billboard
200 Albums and R&B Albums charts (where it stayed
for 4 weeks).
"Hypnotize" topped the Billboard
R&B Singles chart for 3 weeks, the Billboard
R&B Singles Sales chart for 3 weeks, and the
Billboard Rap Singles chart for 7 weeks.
The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Hypnotize."
"Hypnotize" topped the Billboard Hot
100 Singles chart for 3 weeks and the Billboard Hot
100 Singles Sales chart for 3 weeks. A few weeks
later, a tribute to Biggie by his estranged wife, Faith
Evans, and producer, Puff Daddy, "I'll Be Missing
You," went to #1.
"Hypnotize" went Top 10.
The single "Hypnotize" was certified platinum.
Biggie hit the Top 40 with "Mo Money Mo Problems" with the help of Mase and Puff Daddy.
"Mo Money Mo Problems" topped the Billboard Hot
100 Singles chart for 2 weeks, the Billboard Hot 100
Singles Sales chart for 4 weeks, the Billboard
R&B Singles Airplay chart for 2 weeks, the
Billboard Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales chart for 2
weeks, and the Billboard Rap Singles chart for 4
weeks and hit the Top 10.
Life
After Death was certified 6x platinum.
"Mo Money Mo Problems" (featuring Mase and Puff Daddy) went to #1
for a week and helped Life
After Death sell over 10 million copies in the U.S.
The Notorious B.I.G. won a MTV Video Music Award for Best
Rap Video
("Hypnotize").
The single Mo Money Mo Problems" was certified platinum.
Spin
magazine deemed The Notorious B.I.G. "Artist Of
The Year" for 1997. The editor of the magazine
described B.I.G. as a "genuinely fascinating
artist, hard and complicated." The slain rapper
was also described as "...like Marvin Gaye or Kurt
Cobain,
one of those artists who music was suffused with
depression and death, but still vibrated in the key
of life" by the magazine's senior editor.
SoundScan
proclaimed The Notorious B.I.G.'s Life
After Death the sixth best-selling LP of 1997 -
selling over 3.2 million copies in the U.S.
The single "Sky's The Limit" was certified
gold.
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Billboard Year-End Charts with the Top R&B Album (Life
After Death), and as the Top R&B Album Artist
and Top R&B Album Artist - Male.
Life
After Death was certified 7x platinum.
Biggie was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Hypnotize"), Best Rap Performance by a Duo
or Group ("Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy)), and Best Rap Album (Life
After Death).
The Notorious B.I.G. won a Soul Train Music Award for
Best R&B/Soul Album, Male (Life
After Death) and nominated for Best R&B/Soul
Album and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for
"Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy).
Ready
To Die
was certified 3x platinum.
The Notorious B.I.G. was nominated for a MTV Video Music Awards for Best
Rap Video
("Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy)).
Life
After Death was certified 8x platinum.
Ready
To Die
was certified 4x platinum.
 December 7: A collection of previously
unreleased material by the Notorious B.I.G., Born
Again,
was released and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album
chart (where it stayed for 1 week) and Billboard
R&B Album chart (for a week).
Life
After Death was certified 9x platinum.
MTV: 100 Greatest
Videos Ever Made includes "Mo
Money, Mo Problems" at # 23.
 Born
Again was
certified 2x platinum and Life
After Death was certified 10x platinum.
A controversial report from the Los
Angeles Times reported
that the Notorious B.I.G. was
directly linked to the murder of 2Pac, including paying for the hit
and supply the weapon. The report states the shooter
was paid $1 million and given Biggie's own gun for
the hit. Faith Evans responded to
the story: "...I remember Big calling me and
crying. I know for a fact he was in Jersey. He called
me crying because he was in shock. I think it's fair
to say he was probably afraid, given everything that
was going on at that time and all the hype that was
put on this so-called beef that he didn't really have
in his heart against anyone."
VH1: 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists includes the Notorious B.I.G.
at # 4.
VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past
25 Years includes "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 58.
The Notorious B.I.G. will be heard on the Bad
Boys 2
soundtrack with the track "Realest
N*****."
Biggie was featured on the Resurrection soundtrack on the track
"Runnin' (Dying To Live)" with 2Pac.
 Rolling Stone: The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time: # 133: Ready
To Die,
# 483: Life
After Death.
 # 185 Singles
Artist of the Year
# 198 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25
Years
chart.
 December 20: Another Notorious B.I.G. LP
was released - Duets:
The Final Chapter - and featured many 'duets' and
'collaborations.'
 # 96
Singles Artist of the Year
Duets:
The Final Chapter topped the Billboard Top Rap Albums
chart and Top Digital Albums chart.
The Notorious B.I.G. topped the UK singles chart with
"Nasty Girl."
The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Nasty Girl."
Duets:
The Final Chapter was certified platinum.
 Greatest
Hits was
released.
Greatest
Hits
topped the Billboard 200 LP chart, Top
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and Top Rap Albums
chart. The set sold over 99,000 copies its first week
of release in the US.
VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the
90's
included "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 63.
 Entertainment Weekly: 100 Best
Albums of the Last 25 Years included Ready
To Die at
# 40.
The biopic film and soundtrack, Notorious were released.
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Ready
To Die
Released: September 13, 1994
US:
6x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 15
Rolling Stone review: 
Tracks: "Things Done Changed" -
"Gimme The Loot" - "Machine Gun
Funk" - "Warning" - "Ready To
Die" - "One More Chance" - "The
What" - "Juicy" - "Everyday
Struggle" - "Me & My Bitch" -
"Big Poppa" -
"Respect" - "Friend Of Mine"
- "Unbelievable" - "Suicidal
Thoughts" |
|
Life
After Death
Released: March 25, 1997
US:
11x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 4 weeks)
Rolling Stone review:
Tracks: "Somebody's Gotta Die" -
"Hypnotize" - "Kick In The
Door" - F*** You Tonight" - "Last
Day" - "I Love The Dough" -
"What's Beef?" - "Mo Money Mo Problems" - "N*****
Bleed" - "I Got A Story To Tell" -
"Notorious Thugs" - "Miss U"
- "Another" - "Going Back To
Cali" - "Ten Crack Commandments" -
"Playa Hater" - "Nasty Boy" -
"Sky's The Limit" - "World Is
Filled" - "My Downfall" -
"Long Kiss Goodnight" - "You're
Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)" |
|
Born
Again
Released: December 7, 1999
US:
2x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone review: 
Tracks: "Notorious B.I.G." (with
Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy) - "Dead
Wrong" (with Eminem) - "Hope You N*****
Sleep" (with Hot Boys & Big Tymer) -
"Dangerous MC's" (with Mark Cury, Busta
Rhymes & Snoop Dogg) - "Biggie"
(with Junior M.A.F.I.A.) - "N*****" -
"Big Booty Hoes" (with Too Short) -
"Would You Die For Me" (with Lil' Kim
& Puff Daddy) - "Come On" -
"Rap Phenomenon" (with Redman &
Method Man) - "Let Me Get Down" -
"Tonight" (with Mobb Deep & Joe
Hooker" - "If I Should Die Before I
Wake" - "Who Shot Ya" - "Can
I Get Witcha" (with Lil' Cease) - "I
Really Want To Show You" (with K-Ci &
JoJo & Nas) |
|
Duets:
The Final Chapter
Released: December 20, 2005
US:
Platinum
Billboard peak: # 3
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: B+
Tracks: "B.I.G. Live In Jamaica"
- "It Has Been Said" (with Diddy,
Eminem & Obie Trice) - "Spit Your
Game" (with Twista & Bone
Thugs-N-Harmony) - "1970 Somethin' (with The
Game & Faith Evans) - "The Greatest
Rapper" (interlude) - "Get Your Grind
On" (with Big Pun, Fat Joe & Freeway) -
"Living The Life" (with Snoop Dogg,
Ludacris, Faith Evans, Cheri Dennis & Bobby
Valentino) - "Watchu Want" (with Jay-Z)
- "Little Homie" (interlude) -
"Living In Pain" (with 2Pac, Mary J.
Blige & Nas) - "Nasty Girl" (with Diddy, Nelly, Jagged
Edge & Avery Storm) - "Breakin' Old
Habits" (with T.I. & Slim Thug) -
"My Dad" (interlude) - "Hustler's
Story" (with Scarface, Akon & Big Gee) -
"Mi Casa" (with R. Kelly & Charlie
Wilson) - "I'm With Whateva" (with Lil
Wayne & Juelz Santana) - "Beef"
(with Mobb Deep) - "Ultimate Rush"
(with Missy Elliott) - "Hold Ya Head"
(with Bob Marley) - "Just A Memory"
(with The Clipse) - "Wake Up" (with
Korn) - "Love Is Everlasting" (outro) |
|
Greatest
Hits
Released: March, 2007
Billboard peak: # 1
US:
Platinum
Rolling Stone: 
Tracks: "Juicy" - "Big Poppa" - "Hypnotize" - "One More Chance" - "Get
Money" - "Warning" - "Dead
Wrong" - "Who Shot Ya" -
"Notorious Thugs" - "Notorious
B.I.G." - "Nasty Girl" - "Unbelievable" - "N*****
Bleed" - "Running Your Mouth" -
"Want That Old Thing Back" - "#!*@
You Tonight" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
The
King & I (with Faith Evans)
Released: May 19, 2017
Tracks: "A Billion" -
"Legacy" - "Beautiful"
(Interlude) - "Can't Get Enough" -
"Don't Test Me" - "Big /
Faye" (Interlude) - "Tryna Get By"
- "The Reason" - "I Dont' Want
It" (featuring Lil' Cease) - "I Got
Married" (Interlude) - "Ten Wife
Commandments" - "We Just Clicked"
(Interlude) - "A Little Romance" -
"The Baddest" (Interlude) - "Fool
FOr You" - "Crazy" (Interlude) -
"Get Me Twisted" - "When We
Party" (featuring Snoop Dogg) -
"Somebody Knows" (featuring Busta
Rhymes) - "Take Me There" (featuring
Sheek Louch & Styles P) - "One In The
Same" - "I Wish" (Interlude) -
"Lovin' You For Life" (featurng Lil
Kim) - "NYC" (featuring Jadakiss) -
"It Was Worth It" |
| Note: Song title and position
links lead you to the song's Top 40 chart run
(from the ARC Weekly Top 40) and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound samples). |
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