Created by Josh Berman, Allie Hagan. With Piper Perabo, Daniel Sunjata, Kate Jennings Grant, Aimee Teegarden. A charismatic defense attorney and a powerhouse television producer work together to control the media following a high-profile incident.
In just a few short years, went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records. His all-too-brief odyssey almost immediately took on mythic proportions, especially since his murder followed the shooting of rival by only six months. In death, the man also known as became a symbol of the senseless violence that plagued inner-city America in the waning years of the 20th century. Whether or not his death was really the result of a much-publicized feud between the East and West Coast hip-hop scenes, it did mark the point where both sides stepped back from a rivalry that had gone too far.
Hip-hop's self-image would never be quite the same, and neither would public perception. The aura of martyrdom that surrounds sometimes threatens to overshadow his musical legacy, which was actually quite significant. Helped by ' radio-friendly sensibility, reestablished East Coast rap's viability by leading it into the post- gangsta age. Where fellow East Coasters slowly built an underground following, crashed onto the charts and became a star right out of the box.
Notorious Big Hypnotize
In the process, he helped ' Bad Boy label supplant Death Row as the biggest hip-hop imprint in America, and also paved the way to popular success for other East Coast talents like. Was a gifted storyteller with a sense of humor and an eye for detail, and his narratives about the often violent life of the streets were rarely romanticized; instead, they were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. The general consensus in the rap community was that when his life was cut short, sadly, was just getting started. The Notorious B.I.G. Was born on May 21, 1972, and grew up in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He was interested in rap from a young age, performing with local groups like the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques, the latter of whom brought the teenaged his first trip to a recording studio. He had already adopted the name at this point, a reference to his ample frame, which would grow to be over six feet tall and nearly 400 pounds.
Although he was a good student, he dropped out of high school at age 17 to live his life on the streets. Attracted by the money and flashy style of local drug dealers, he started selling crack for a living. Short prayers for work meetings. He got busted on a trip to North Carolina and spent nine months in jail, and upon his release, he made some demo recordings on a friend's four-track.
The resulting tape fell into the hands of, a DJ working with; in turn passed the tape on to hip-hop magazine The Source, which gave a positive write-up in a regular feature on unsigned artists. Thanks to the publicity, caught the attention of Uptown Records producer, who signed him immediately. With his new daughter in need of immediate financial support, kept dealing drugs for a short time until found out and laid down the law. Not long after 's signing, split from Uptown to form his own label, Bad Boy, and took with him.
B I G Notorious Death
Changing his primary stage name from to, the newly committed rapper made his recording debut on a 1993 remix of 's single 'Real Love.' He soon guested on another remix, 'What's the 411?,' and contributed his first solo cut, 'Party and Bullshit,' to the soundtrack of the film Who's the Man? Now with a considerable underground buzz behind him, delivered his debut album,, in September 1994. Its lead single, 'Juicy,' went gold, and the follow-up smash, 'Big Poppa,' achieved platinum sales and went Top Ten on the pop and R&B charts. 's third single, 'One More Chance,' tied 's 'Scream' for the highest debut ever on the pop charts; it entered at number five en route to an eventual peak at number two, and went all the way to number one on the R&B side. By the time the dust settled, had sold over four million copies and turned into a hip-hop sensation -- the first major star the East Coast had produced since the rise of 's West Coast G-funk. Not long after was released, married R&B singer and Bad Boy labelmate.