The Notorious B.I.G. is now an official inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The legendary Brooklyn rapper follows other Hip-Hop legends like 2Pac, Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy into the Hall; and Biggie was inducted alongside such music icons as Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, T-Rex and the Doobie Brothers.
B.I.G. (born Chris Wallace) has one of the most storied legacies in Hip-Hop, despite the brevity of his career. Biggie rose to fame in the mid-1990s, on the strength of his lyrical prowess, charisma and infectious production. He's credited with reinvigorating the commercial viability of East Coast Hip-Hop after some years of West Coast chart dominance; and his two studio albums (1994s Ready To Die and 1997s Life After Death) are highly acclaimed. B.I.G. was tragically gunned down in March 1997.
The rap legend was inducted by peers Jay-Z, Nas and Diddy; as well as family members like his mother Voletta Wallace and his kids, C.J. and Tyanna Wallace.
“Big just wanted to be biggest, he wanted to be the best, he wanted to have influence and impact people in a positive way, and that clearly has been done all over the world,” Diddy said during the ceremony. “Nobody has come close to the way Biggie sounds, to the way he raps, to the frequency that he hits. Tonight we are inducting the greatest rapper of all time into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Notorious B.I.G. representing Brooklyn, New York, we up in here!”
For his part, Jay-Z compared Biggie to to legendary filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock. B.I.G. often likened himself to the suspense master.
“They were these tales that was disturbing, but they all had a purpose,” Jay said of Biggie's songs. “The human side of him came through in his music, and I think it moved the molecules in the world. I know for a fact that he pointed me in a direction and I’m sure that’s happened to millions and millions of people worldwide.”’
“Our father was one of the founding fathers of Hip Hop,” C.J. Wallace said. “He helped revolutionize what was a young art form for the Black community and the world. I’m honored to share his name and his dedication to Black music, creativity, self-expression and Black freedom. I love you, Meemaw.
“Thanks for teaching us who Christopher Wallace was as a son, friend, poet, artist, and father. We love you Meemaw. We love you dad. Brooklyn, we did it!”