The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G., born as Christopher George Latore Wallace, was an American rapper/hip hop artist. He was also known as Biggie Smalls and Frank White. He has had four studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack, and ten singles released.

When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene. The following year, his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A., was formed and charted success. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 16 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000.

Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.