The Notorious B.I.G. - легенда рэпа Бигги Смолз

Easily one of the most revered rappers of all time, Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G., impacted hip-hop in a way most can only dream. An artist in the true sense, Wallace constructed rhymes that reflected his life, at first focusing strongly on the struggles of the inner-city crack dealer and later reveling in the mafia-style fantasies that would soon become his real life. He was a driving force of this mafioso style of rap, a brand of storytelling that would soon dominate the genre. He also drove hip-hop's popularity in the mainstream markets, producing hits that found their way onto mix tapes just as they found their way into radio rotation. Wallace's influence still is strong more than 10 years after his death, his name a constant in the many hip-hop hot lists.

In his short life, Wallace recorded two albums, both of which are recog¬nized as two of the best-selling releases in rap history. He has had several no. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and rap charts, and his music has permeated the depths of American culture, his influence spreading across the country as his songs grew in popularity, many of which are still heard on the radio today. His triumphs—both monetary and stylistically—built Bad Boy Records, one of the most successful record labels in history, a company whose influence is widespread not only in hip-hop but in the music industry as a whole. He was a mentor to many rappers, including the now-famous Lil' Kim, and he helped Junior M.A.F.I.A. rise to promi¬nence in the hip-hop world. Even after his death, more albums featuring Wallace were released, almost all instant hits that ranked high on the charts, an unlikely feat for an overweight drug dealer from New York.

From his beginnings on the crack-infested streets of Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Wallace always held strong promise, even when his life derailed after he became a petty hustler, slinging crack in New York and North Carolina, or after his two jail stints, one of which spanned nine months. As a way to simply survive, he began to rhyme, weaving into his lyrics the struggles he faced daily—his mother's breast cancer, his ex-girlfriend's accidental pregnancy—events that not only shaped his life but also went on to shape the way rappers approached their art, using autobiographical elements that before were seen only in stripped-down versions of gangsta rap.