English Essay: Christopher George Latore Wallace

Notorious BIG
Introduction
Notorious BIG as he was famously known was born Christopher George Latore Wallace on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York. Biggie Smalls as he was also known was born to Caribbean parents; Voletta, his mother, and Selwyn, his father. His family was not materially endowed, and his mother was even forced to work two jobs at one point so as to send him to the Roman Catholic Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. His school life was no different to those of other African American children, and he also got caught in the drug sale web. In an interview to New York Times in 1994, Big Papa (another name people used to refer to him), stated: “I used to sell crack.” He continued to say that his customers would ring his bell “and they would come up on the steps and smoke right here. They knew where I lived: they knew my moms.” Notorious BIG’s story is no different to a majority of African American boys of his age. His school life was indeed predictable because after getting caught up in the drug business, ultimately boys used to drop out of school and at 17, Biggie opted out. However, despite the above, no one foresaw the influential wave he would initiate with the ripples still being felt today. His music changed the world and more so the Hip Hop culture.
Career
After he had dropped out of school, Notorious BIG delved deeper into the drug business and became a renowned drug peddler. Trouble with the law was soon something that he could not avoid as he increasingly made himself susceptible to arrests. However, while all this was happening, Biggie had started rapping, but at the time, he had never considered music a suitable career for him. At one point he even said that he did rap because “it was fun just hearing myself on tape over beats.” However, after making a demo tape as Biggie Smalls, things started changing especially after Sean “Puffy” Combs heard it. Sean organized a record deal for Biggie at Uptown Records in 1990. In 1992, Biggie left Uptown Records and joined his friend Sean at Bad Boy Records which the latter started after a fallout with Uptown Record’s boss.
Notorious BIG was destined for greatness despite the few hiccups he had had as a drug dealer. After Biggie had joined Sean, they began working on his debut album, and in September 1994, Ready to Die was released. Biggie was a great rapper, and this was a testament to the quadruple-platinum sale his debut album had. Awards and nominations became a norm for him, but his deep lyrics won the hearts of many people. In his debut album, Biggie mainly focused on his life as a youth as well as how hard it was for him and his family. His lyrics were honest, and he revealed everything that there needed to be said including his drug-dealer lifestyle. However, what he is mostly remembered for is the influence he had on the Hip-Hop culture as it will be discussed in the subsequent sections.
Inspiration
As already stated, Biggie rapped about his life and the struggles that engulfed his childhood. He got his inspiration from how he grew up, the poverty he faced, the African American struggles including racism, as well as a quest to change it all. Biggie wanted to be among the people who effect change and not the ones who sit and wait for others to deliver. He used his words to mentor, inspire, and to encourage those who had humble beginnings to soldier on and never to lose hope. In the 90s, Hip Hop with rap groups such as N.W.A. (Niggas with Attitude) had changed and reverted to “gangsta rap.” Gangsta rap was mainly characterized by depictions of crime, the gang life, violence, drugs, hate for the police, sex, and money. However, despite the above, Biggie still found it essential to include lyrics that would inspire and motivate people to reach and aim for the stars like he did. In his article, Oliver (2014) includ...