When the news hit that Christopher Wallace, the man we knew and loved as the Notorious BIG, was no more, it felt like -- especially to those living on the East Coast -- that we had lost a legend. Life After Death was released fifteen days after Big's death, as tracks from Ready to Die were still dominating the airwaves. At the time of his death, Biggie was nominated for several Grammys and his star was shining as bright as ever.
Puffy, his friend and mentor, was also on the rise as one of the hottest producers/label heads in the game, and Bad Boy Records was on a pretty solid run. Biggie's death changed all of that. His storytelling, his humor, his eloquent dialect, all of it, gone in the blink of an eye. Tupac was killed first, a shocking and surprising death that turned the so called East Coast/West Coast rivalry into something so much more. With both MCs gone, it felt as though we all lost.
An incredible writer, a smooth orator and larger than life presence, Big is sorely missed, and today we celebrate the life and rhymes of Christopher Wallace, whose influence can still be heard on every mafioso-tinged rap track, every blatantly paranoid rap line and each humorous and defined verse. We'll always love Big Poppa, one of the greatest rappers of all time.
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