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FAQs


button.gif (123 bytes) May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997
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REAL NAME: Chris Wallace
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BIGGEST SINGLE: "Mo Money Mo Problems" (1997)
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BIGGEST LP: Life After Death (1997)
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ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: 2020
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GRAMMY AWARDS: 0

 
TIMELINE

The Notorious B.I.G.button.gif (123 bytes) 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.

1994...

August
button.gif (123 bytes) 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.

September
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Juicy / Unbelievable."

The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To DieSeptember 13: Biggie's debut release, Ready To Die, was released and established Biggie as a rapping force in the industry.

November
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "
Juicy / Unbelievable" was certified gold and Ready To Die was certified gold.

1995... # 16 Singles Artist of the Year

January
button.gif (123 bytes) Biggie hit the Top 40 with "Big Poppa."
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for 9 weeks with "
Big Poppa/Warning."

February
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. topped the Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales chart for a week with "Big Poppa/Warning."
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "
Big Poppa" was certified gold.

March
button.gif (123 bytes) Biggie hit the Top 10 with "Big Poppa."
button.gif (123 bytes)
Ready To Die was certified platinum.

April
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. helped out Total with the Top 40 track "Can't You See."

May
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "Big Poppa" was certified platinum.

June
button.gif (123 bytes) 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."

button.gif (123 bytes) 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.
button.gif (123 bytes) 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.
button.gif (123 bytes) As Biggie's East Coast rap sounds grew in popularity, so did the rivalry between East and West Coast rappers, especially with
2Pac.
button.gif (123 bytes) 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").

June
The single "One More Chance" was certified platinum.

August
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 10 with ""One More Chance."

December
button.gif (123 bytes) 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.
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Ready To Die was certified 2x platinum.

1996... # 147 Singles Artist of the Year

February
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. helped out the Junior M.A.F.I.A. with "Get Money" and hit the Top 40.
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Big Poppa").

June
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 helping out 112 with "Only You."

button.gif (123 bytes) 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.

1997... # 32 Singles Artist of the Year

January
button.gif (123 bytes) 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.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After DeathMarch 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).

April
button.gif (123 bytes) "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.

May
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Hypnotize."
button.gif (123 bytes) "
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.

June
button.gif (123 bytes) "Hypnotize" went Top 10.
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "
Hypnotize" was certified platinum.

June
The Notorious BIG featuring Mase & Puff Daddy - "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Single)button.gif (123 bytes) Biggie hit the Top 40 with "Mo Money Mo Problems" with the help of Mase and Puff Daddy.

August
button.gif (123 bytes) "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.
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Life After Death was certified 6x platinum.

September
button.gif (123 bytes) "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.
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. won a
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video ("Hypnotize").
button.gif (123 bytes) The single
Mo Money Mo Problems" was certified platinum.

December
button.gif (123 bytes) 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.
button.gif (123 bytes)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.
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "Sky's The Limit" was certified gold.

button.gif (123 bytes) 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.

1998...

January
button.gif (123 bytes) Life After Death was certified 7x platinum.

February
button.gif (123 bytes) 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).

button.gif (123 bytes) 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).

August
button.gif (123 bytes) Ready To Die was certified 3x platinum.

September
button.gif (123 bytes) 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)).

November
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Life After Death was certified 8x platinum.

1999...

Ocotber
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Ready To Die was certified 4x platinum.

December
The Notorious B.I.G. - Born AgainDecember 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).
button.gif (123 bytes)
Life After Death was certified 9x platinum.

button.gif (123 bytes) MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made includes "Mo Money, Mo Problems" at # 23.

2000...

January
The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Lil' Kim - "The Notorious B.I.G" (Single)button.gif (123 bytes) Born Again was certified 2x platinum and Life After Death was certified 10x platinum.

2002...

September
button.gif (123 bytes) 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."

2003...

April
button.gif (123 bytes) VH1: 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists includes the Notorious B.I.G. at # 4.

June
button.gif (123 bytes) VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 58.

June
Bad Boys 2 soundtrackbutton.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. will be heard on the Bad Boys 2 soundtrack with the track "Realest N*****."

November
button.gif (123 bytes) Biggie was featured on the
Resurrection soundtrack on the track "Runnin' (Dying To Live)" with 2Pac.

December
Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Albums of All-Timebutton.gif (123 bytes) Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: # 133: Ready To Die, # 483: Life After Death.

2004... # 185 Singles Artist of the Year

button.gif (123 bytes) # 198 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.

2005...

The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final ChapterDecember 20: Another Notorious B.I.G. LP was released - Duets: The Final Chapter - and featured many 'duets' and 'collaborations.'

2006.. # 96 Singles Artist of the Year

January
button.gif (123 bytes)
Duets: The Final Chapter topped the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart and Top Digital Albums chart.
Notorious BIG - "Nasty Girl" (Single)button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. topped the UK singles chart with "Nasty Girl."

February
button.gif (123 bytes) The Notorious B.I.G. hit the Top 40 with "Nasty Girl."
button.gif (123 bytes)
Duets: The Final Chapter was certified platinum.

2007..

March
The Notorious B.I.G. - Greatest Hitsbutton.gif (123 bytes) Greatest Hits was released.
button.gif (123 bytes)
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.

December
button.gif (123 bytes) VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's included "Mo Money Mo Problems" at # 63.

2008...

June
Notorious soundtrackbutton.gif (123 bytes) Entertainment Weekly: 100 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years included Ready To Die at # 40.

2009...

January
button.gif (123 bytes) The biopic film and soundtrack, Notorious were released.

2017...

2018...

2020...

  • November 7: The Notorious B.I.G. was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.



LPs
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl
Ready To Die
Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Albums of All-TimeReleased: September 13, 1994
US: 6x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 15
Rolling Stone review: 4 stars from Rolling Stone
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"
The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death Life After Death
Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Albums of All-TimeReleased: March 25, 1997
US: 11x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 4 weeks)
Rolling Stone review: 4 stars from Rolling Stone
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)"
The Notorious B.I.G. - Born Again Born Again
Released: December 7, 1999
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone review: 3 stars from Rolling Stone
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)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final Chapter Duets: The Final Chapter
Released: December 20, 2005
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 3
Rolling Stone: 2 stars from 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)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Greatest Hits Greatest Hits
Released: March, 2007
Billboard peak: # 1
US: Platinum
Rolling Stone: 1 star from 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"
Faith Evans & Notorious B.I.G. - 'The King & I'
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"
POP SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY [based on The ARC Weekly Top 40 (listing explanation)
1 Mo Money, Mo Problems
[The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy]
from
Life After Death
ARC Chart Run:
30 - 18 - 12 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - 15 - 24 - 31 - 40 - off
Year-End Chart Position: #
21
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Grammy Nominee:
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
MTV VMA Nominee:
Best Rap Video
MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made: #
23
VH1: '100 Greatest Songs of the 90's': #
63
1(1) 17 1997 The Notorious BIG featuring Mase & Puff Daddy - "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Single)
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
2 Big Poppa
Ready To Die
7 13 1995 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
3 One More Chance
Ready To Die
6 12 1995 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
4 Hypnotize
Life After Death
7 11 1997 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
5 Can't You See
[Total featuring The Notorious B.I.G.]
cd single
13 10 1995 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
6 Notorious BIG - "Nasty Girl" (Single)Nasty Girl
Duets: The Final Chapter
28 6 2006 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
7 Juicy / Unbelievable
Ready To Die
32 4 1994 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
8 Puff Daddy - Victory (Single)Victory
[Puff Daddy & The Family featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes]
from
No Way Out
ARC Chart Run:
38 - 34 - 30 - off
Year-End Chart Position: #
163
RIAA Certification: Gold
30 3 1998 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]

Available for download at iTunes
9 Only You
[112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G.]
112's 112
29 4 1996 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
10 Get Money
[The Junior M.A.F.I.A. featuring The Notorious B.I.G.]
Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy
34 2 1996 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
 
  The What
Ready To Die
** ** 1995 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
  Going Back To Cali
Life After Death
** ** 1998 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
  Notorious B.I.G.
[The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Lil' Kim]

from the LP
Born Again
** ** 1999 The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Lil' Kim - "The Notorious B.I.G" (Single)
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
  Runnin (Dying To Live)
[2Pac featuring The Notorious B.I.G.]
Resurrection soundtrack
** ** 2003 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
  P. Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Busta Rhymes - Victory 2004 (Single)Victory 2004
[P. Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Busta Rhymes]
from
Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary: The Hits
** ** 2004 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]

Available for download at iTunes
  Spit Your Game
Duets: The Final Chapter
** ** 2006 [ LISTEN / BUY ]
[
LYRICS ]
 
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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