Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
The Notorious B.I.G.
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
== Artistry == === Vocals === {{listen | filename = 112 feat The Notorious BIG-Only You Remix.ogg | title = "Only You (Remix)" | description = Wallace, accompanied by ad libs from [[Sean Combs|Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs]], uses [[onomatopoeic]] [[vocables]] and multi-syllabic rhymes on his 1995 collaboration with [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] group, [[112 (band)|112]]. | format = [[Ogg]] | filename2 = NiggasBleed.ogg | title2 = "Niggas Bleed" | description2 = Wallace tells vivid stories about his everyday life as a criminal in [[Brooklyn]] (from ''[[Life After Death]]''). | format2 = Ogg }} Wallace had the [[vocal range]] of a [[baritone]].<ref name="h944">{{cite magazine | last=Gee | first=Andre | title=Timbaland Just Added Fuel to Our Growing Rap Dystopia | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=May 4, 2023 | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/timbaland-ai-biggie-rap-dystopia-1234729418/ | access-date=November 13, 2024 | archive-date=April 16, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416063729/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/timbaland-ai-biggie-rap-dystopia-1234729418/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="c953">{{cite web | last=Hellerbach | first=Miki | title=Busta Rhymes, Pop Smoke, GloRilla & more: 16 rappers with the best deep voices | publisher=[[Revolt (TV network)|Revolt]] | date=January 15, 2024 | url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2024-01-15/347754/16-rappers-with-best-deep-voices | access-date=November 13, 2024 | archive-date=March 26, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326013306/https://www.revolt.tv/article/2024-01-15/347754/16-rappers-with-best-deep-voices | url-status=live }}</ref> He typically rapped in a deep tone that ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "thick, jaunty grumble",<ref name="rolling stone lad">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/albums/album/200792/review/6067339/life_after_death |title=Life After Death review |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |date=December 7, 1997 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 7, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220094937/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/albums/album/200792/review/6067339/life_after_death |archive-date=February 20, 2007}}</ref> which became even deeper on ''Life After Death''.<ref name="rolling stone bio">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/biography |title=Notorious B.I.G.: Biography |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=December 26, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216105041/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/biography |archive-date=February 16, 2006}}</ref> Wallace was frequently joined by Combs, who contributed [[ad lib]]s to his tracks.<ref name="t814">{{cite web | last=Findlay | first=Mitch | title=Diddy Reminds The People That Notorious B.I.G Is The GOAT | website=[[HotNewHipHop]] | date=October 16, 2019 | url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/229245-diddy-reminds-the-people-that-notorious-big-is-the-goat-news | access-date=November 13, 2024}}</ref><ref name="h432"/> ''The Source''{{'s}} "Unsigned Hype" column described his style as "cool, nasal, and filtered, blessing his own material".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesource.com/articles/7752/Biggie-Smalls-Unsigned-Hype/?thesource-prod |title=Biggie Smalls Unsigned Hype |author=<!-- Staff writer(s); no by-line. --> |work=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] |access-date=December 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204163022/http://www.thesource.com/articles/7752/Biggie-Smalls-Unsigned-Hype/?thesource-prod |archive-date=February 4, 2013 }}</ref> AllMusic noted Wallace's talent for layering multiple rhymes in rapid succession,<ref name="b962">{{cite web | title=The Notorious B.I.G. | publisher=[[AllMusic]] | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ready-to-die-mw0000118068 | access-date=November 13, 2024 | archive-date=March 25, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325161701/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ready-to-die-mw0000118068 | url-status=live }}</ref> while [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine highlighted his ability to deliver multi-syllabic rhymes smoothly.<ref name="z868">{{cite magazine | last1=Tyrangiel | first1=Josh | last2=Light | first2=Alan | title=Is Ready to Die one of the All-TIME 100 Best Albums? | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=November 2, 2006 | url=https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/ready-to-die/ | access-date=November 13, 2024 | archive-date=October 7, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007125934/https://entertainment.time.com/2006/11/02/the-all-time-100-albums/slide/ready-to-die/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Scholar Adam Krims described his rhythmic style as "effusive".{{sfn|Krims|2000|p=85}} Wallace often used [[onomatopoeic]] sounds, like "uhhh" at the start of tracks such as "Hypnotize" and "Big Poppa".<ref name="h129">{{cite web | title=Hypnotize (Club Mix) | publisher=[[Apple Music]] (US) | url=https://music.apple.com/us/song/hypnotize-club-mix-2014-remaster/1627155418 | access-date=November 13, 2024}}</ref><ref name="j592">{{cite web | title=Big Poppa | publisher=[[Apple Music]] (US) | url=https://music.apple.com/us/song/big-poppa/1772055719 | access-date=November 13, 2024}}</ref> [[Lateef the Truthspeaker|Lateef]] of [[Latyrx]] described Wallace as having "intense and complex flows",{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=100}} while [[Onyx (hip-hop group)|Onyx]]'s [[Fredro Starr]] called him "a master of the flow".{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=112}} Rapper [[Bishop Lamont]] praised Wallace's ability to capture "all the hemispheres of the music".{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=x}} Wallace often employed single-line [[rhyme scheme]]s to bring variety and depth to his flow.{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=100}} [[Big Daddy Kane]] noted that Wallace did not need an extensive vocabulary to impress; instead, he "just put his words together a slick way, and it worked well for him".{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=53}}<ref name="n277">{{cite web | title=Big Daddy Kane: Rap Like No Equal | website=[[HipHopDX]] | date=September 20, 2010 | url=https://hiphopdx.com/interviews/id.1597/title.big-daddy-kane-rap-like-no-equal | access-date=November 14, 2024 | archive-date=June 17, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617144310/https://hiphopdx.com/interviews/id.1597/title.big-daddy-kane-rap-like-no-equal | url-status=live }}</ref> Known for composing lyrics in his head rather than writing them down, Wallace occasionally deviated from his usual style.{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=144}} For example, he sang in a slow falsetto on "Playa Hater"<ref name="d861">{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Da'Shan | title=A personal love for The Notorious B.I.G.'s "My Downfall" | publisher=[[Revolt (TV network)|Revolt]] | date=May 21, 2018 | url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2018-05-21/95989/a-personal-love-for-the-notorious-b-i-g-s-my-downfall | access-date=November 16, 2024 | archive-date=May 30, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530074112/https://www.revolt.tv/article/2018-05-21/95989/a-personal-love-for-the-notorious-b-i-g-s-my-downfall | url-status=live }}</ref> and adapted to the rapid-fire rhyme flow of [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]] on "[[Notorious Thugs]]".<ref name="n647">{{cite web | last=Coker | first=Cheo Hodari | title=A Memorable 'Life' on Its Own Merits | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=March 26, 1997 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-26-ca-42095-story.html | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref> === Musical style === Wallace's lyrics explored a range of themes, including [[Mafioso rap|mafioso]] narratives ("Niggas Bleed"),<ref name="v266">{{cite web | last=Berry | first=Peter A. | title=Remembering The Notorious B.I.G.'s flawless posthumous album 'Life After Death' | publisher=[[Revolt (TV network)|Revolt]] | date=March 25, 2022 | url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-03-25/159211/the-notorious-b-i-g-life-after-death-best-posthumous-album | access-date=November 16, 2024 | archive-date=March 26, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326043054/https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-03-25/159211/the-notorious-b-i-g-life-after-death-best-posthumous-album | url-status=live }}</ref> reflections on his drug-dealing past ("[[Ten Crack Commandments]]"),<ref name="x854">{{cite magazine | last=Cauley | first=Kashana | title=Why Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Life After Death' Resonates More Now Than Ever | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=March 24, 2017 | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/why-notorious-b-i-g-s-life-after-death-resonates-more-now-than-ever-116131/ | access-date=November 16, 2024}}</ref> materialistic boasting ("Hypnotize"),<ref name="z654"/> humor ("[[Just Playing (Dreams)]]"),<ref name="stilltheill">{{cite news|archive-date=December 13, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213144725/http://www.mtv.com/bands/n/notorious_big/lyrics/ | title=Notorious B.I.G.: Still the Illest | publisher=[[MTV]] | access-date=November 16, 2024 | url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/n/notorious_big/lyrics/}}</ref> and romantic experiences ("[[Me & My Bitch]]").<ref name="stilltheill"/> In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' praised him as "one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing credible love songs".<ref name="rolling stone bio"/> In the book ''[[How to Rap]]'', rapper [[Guerilla Black]] highlighted Wallace's ability to "glorify the upper echelon"{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=14}} while also making listeners "feel his struggle".{{sfn|Edwards|2012|p=44}} According to ''[[The New York Times]]'' journalist [[Touré (journalist)|Touré]], Wallace's lyrics "[mixed] autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty".<ref name="o749">{{cite web | title=Pop music: Biggie Smalls, Rap's Man of the Moment | website=[[The New York Times]] | author=[[Touré (journalist)|Touré]] | date=December 18, 1994 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/arts/pop-music-biggie-smalls-rap-s-man-of-the-moment.html | access-date=November 16, 2024 | archive-date=July 1, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701024448/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/arts/pop-music-biggie-smalls-rap-s-man-of-the-moment.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Another writer for ''The New York Times'', Michel Marriott, noted in 1997 that his lyrics were not entirely autobiographical, as he had a talent for exaggeration to improve his storytelling and sales appeal.<ref name="u734"/> Wallace described his debut album, ''Ready to Die'', as "a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in [his] life involving bitches and niggas{{nbsp}}[...] from the beginning to the end".{{sfn|Brown|2004|p=66}} ''Rolling Stone'' described ''Ready to Die'' as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being "full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop".<ref name="rolling stone bio"/> AllMusic noted "a sense of doom" in some of his songs, while Jon Pareles of ''The New York Times'' described a thread of paranoia in others.<ref name="b962"/><ref name="c708">{{cite web | last=Pareles | first=Jon | title=Rapping, Living and Dying a Gangsta Life | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=March 10, 1997 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/10/us/rapping-living-and-dying-a-gangsta-life.html | access-date=November 16, 2024 | archive-date=November 10, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040430/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/10/us/rapping-living-and-dying-a-gangsta-life.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Wallace himself stated that he felt "broke and depressed" while creating his debut album.<ref name="c708"/> The final track on ''Ready to Die'', "Suicidal Thoughts", portrays a character contemplating and ultimately committing suicide.{{sfn|Coker|2003|p=104}} On his follow-up album, ''Life After Death'', Wallace's lyrics delved even "deeper", as observed by ''Rolling Stone''.<ref name="rolling stone bio"/> Krims observed that the record alternates between upbeat, dance-oriented tracks and gritty "reality rap," reflecting a thematic shift toward a more "pimp" persona.{{sfn|Krims|2000|p=85}} ''[[XXL Mag]]'' noted that Wallace "revamped his image" between the two albums, evolving from a "mid-level hustler" on his debut to a "[[drug lord]]" on his sophomore effort.<ref name="e097">{{cite web | title=The History of Cocaine Rap: All White | website=[[XXL Mag]] | date=November 6, 2006 | url=https://www.xxlmag.com/the-history-of-cocaine-rap-all-white/ | access-date=November 16, 2024 | archive-date=November 28, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128102709/https://www.xxlmag.com/the-history-of-cocaine-rap-all-white/ | url-status=live }}</ref> AllMusic credited Wallace's storytelling ability as a key factor in the success of ''Ready to Die''.<ref name="b962"/>
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
The Notorious B.I.G.
(section)
Add topic