Biggie Smalls Net Worth, Money and More
Net worth : $160 million
American rapper and songwriter Notorious BIG has an estimated net worth of $160 million. Born Christopher George Latore Wallace, he was also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Other names included “The King of New York”, “The Black Frank White”, “Big Poppa”, “Frankie Baby”, and “B.I.” On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. The Source named Wallace the greatest rapper of all time in 2001.
Early years
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he was the only son to parents of Jamaican descent. He was a high school dropout who began dealing crack in the neighborhood at the age of 12, a venture he claimed as his only source of income. His mother, often away at work, did not know of her son’s drug sales until Wallace was an adult. During his trip to North Carolina for a routine drug exchange, he ended up in jail and served for nine months behind bars.
Career
Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He entertained people on the streets and performed with local groups the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques. After being released from jail, Wallace made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to a character in the 1975 film Let’s Do It Again as well as his stature; he stood at 6 feet 3 inches and weighed as much as 350 pounds.
He had recorded hip hop tracks on a tape which was passed around and played at local radio stations in New York. He released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994 which he collaborated with Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy and Mase. With this, he became a central figure in the East Coast Hip Hop scene. He also helped increase the city’s visibility in the genre during that time when West Coast Hip Hop was dominant in the mainstream. Biggie ended 1995 as not only the top-selling rap artist, but also the biggest solo male act on both the pop and R&B charts.
On March 9, 1997, Christopher Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Sixteen days after, his Life After Death double-disc set was released and became No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. In 2000, it was certified Diamond and is one of the few hip hop albums to receive such certification. Two more albums were released since his death and he has certified sales of 17 million units in the US.
Biggie made numerous appearances on popular TV shows while he was alive. Smalls appeared in the popular cop drama, “New York Undercover,” and also on the hit comedy show, “Martin.” He was scheduled to appear in a movie casted as a druglord with Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken, but never got the chance because of his death.
Legacy
Today, Biggie is still one of the music industry’s most admired hip-hop artists. Several musicians have paid tribute to Biggie by mentioning him in their songs, and his musical style has been emulated by countless up-and-coming artists including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Game, Clinton Sparks, Michael Jackson and Usher.
In 2007, He was immortalized in a wax sculpture unveiled by his mother Voletta Wallace at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Manhattan.
As his star power increased, Biggie did his best to share his prestige. He backed the work of several rappers that he’d originally performed with while starting out in Brooklyn, and took to the studio in support of other artists. Undoubtedly, Biggie’s talent as a writer and rapper will continue to be acknowledged for decades to come.
Style
Everything he wore helped define the 90’s. His leather jackets and Versace shades maintained his street credibility, but when he rocked Groovy Lou’s custom white suit, he evoked old blues and jazz musicians of a bygone era. Wallace had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to produce plus-sized clothing but fell dormant after he died. In 2004, his managers, Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, launched the clothing line, with help from Jay-Z, selling T-shirts with images of Wallace on them.
Personal Life
Wallace’s longtime girlfriend gave birth to his first child, T’yanna. Biggie famously sung about T’yanna in his song Juicy. Biggie married R&B singer Faith Evans after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. They had a son together named Christopher. In 2002, filmmaker Nick Broomfield released the documentary Biggie and Tupac, which featured a round of interviews with people associated with both men.
Notorious Big Quotes
- I’m making music for the people. If y’all love the music, y’all gonna buy the music.
- With big folks, either people think you look mean or it’s more of a jolly Santa Claus, ‘Oh, he’s just a pudgy little teddy bear pillow.
- I’m basically different things to different people. If it’s a guy, I’m-a probably have my guard up because it’s a street rule that when men come around that I don’t know, I just immediately throw shade on them. But I don’t associate with fellas all that much; if it’s a girl – a beautiful girl – I be nice.
