The Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), known professionally as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history. Emerging from the Brooklyn rap scene, Wallace became the face of East Coast hip-hop during the mid-1990s, revitalizing New York City's presence in the genre at a time when West Coast artists dominated the mainstream.

Born in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Wallace was the son of Jamaican immigrants. His mother, Voletta Wallace, was a preschool teacher, and his father, Selwyn George Latore, was a welder and politician. Although he excelled in school and won awards as an English student, Wallace began dealing drugs at the age of 12. He attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, where he was classmates with future hip-hop icons Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes. By age 17, Wallace had dropped out of school, leading to a period of legal troubles and incarceration before he turned his focus toward music.