Late New York rap icon Notorious B.I.G.‘s mom is making fans go down memory lane. The hip-hop mogul’s day one Voletta Wallace has dished on his life, unreleased music and what Biggie Smalls would be like in 2020.
Notorious BIG’s Mom Imagines Him In 2020
In a “Breakfast Club” Q&A, Miss Wallace doesn’t hold back on talking about how much she still loves her late son. Wallace even talks about the “What If” thoughts and what their relationship would likely be in 2020.
“I know he would be a happy guy. I know I would be a happy mother because he was a good kid. He was a nice, nice person. We fought a lot but the make up was so beautiful. There was so much apologies behind it and his explanation, he made me understand what he was trying to do, what he was trying to say, I still can’t take the profanity, still can’t – but the what if’s, maybe we would still be fighting but he would still be my best friend.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Notorious BIG Welcomed Into Hall of Fame
In preparation for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gearing up to welcome the Bed-Stuy native – Christopher Wallace – as only the second hip-hop artist ever to be inducted into the ranks of nearly 400 musicians on November 7, soda giant Pepsi recently delivered in a big way. The beverage company joined forces with hip-hop veterans Cey Adams and Hot 97 legend DJ Enuff for a must-see visual in B.I.G.’s honor.
Pepsi is honored to introduce for the first time ever a previously unreleased freestyle track, detailing Biggie’s unwavering love for ice-cold Pepsi. After 23 years, the brand is repaying Biggie’s love in kind with this one-of-a-kind remaster and release of that fateful freestyle from a 1997 on-air HOT97 interview with DJ Enuff. Accompanying the remastered track is a unique animation short by Antnamation (Ant Blue), which includes a slew of references to Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, the setting of some of the most iconic and memorable storylines from Biggie’s life.
In addition to the must-see animation, Pepsi and B.I.G.’s longtime friend/deejay DJ Enuff linked up for a huge content.
The brand is also taking the homage to Biggie a step further, partnering with Biggie’s original road DJ, DJ Enuff, and HOT97 to launch the Big Pepsi Freestyle Challenge, a contest for up and coming hip hop artists to showcase their talents. The contest is a three (3) week, winner-take-all rap battle judged by both the Hot 97 team and the public. Contestants must use an exclusive 60 second track that can be downloaded from Hot97.com/bigpepsi/ and include at least one lyrical reference to Pepsi in their submission. Entries can be submitted on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube by tagging @Hot97 and #bigpepsifreestyle. Winners will be chosen by Hot 97’s DJ Enuff, DJ Kast One of the Ebro In The Morning team, and Loaded Lux will announce on the morning show one winner to receive 4 FREE nights of studio + recording time and 1 week of digital marketing support.
Notorious BIG’s Crown Sells For $600,000
Recently, Notorious B.I.G.’s name made headlines after a pure hip-hop head purchased his iconic “King of New York” plastic crown for over $500,000 in an auction.
“All hail the King of New York! Tonight during our inaugural Hip Hop auction, one of the most iconic symbols of Hip Hop’s heyday: the crown ? worn and signed by Notorious B.I.G. from @barronclaiborne’s iconic 1997 ‘King of New York’ photoshoot for Rap Pages Magazine sold for $600,000. The photograph is one of the most recognizable images in Hip Hop culture and it has endured as the defining portrait of the artist more than 20 years since it was taken.”
Hip-Hop Celebration
Auction company Sotheby’s also revealed the entire event achieved $2 million and celebrated the history and culture impact hip-hop has had on art and culture through the decades.
“A majority of items included in the sale were consigned directly from Hip Hop’s most pivotal and well-known artists and figures, several of who will be sharing their proceeds with a variety of charities. A portion of Sotheby’s own proceeds from the sale will benefit the Hip Hop programs at the @qplnyc, as well as @buildingbeats, a non-profit community organization that teaches tech, entrepreneurial and leadership skills to underserved youth through DJ and music programs.”