Quimica

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again), Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York).[1]
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallacereleased his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream.[2] The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the EastCoast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification).[3] Wallace was noted for his "loose, easyflow",[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time.[5] He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.
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Early life
Born in St. Mary's Hospital, despite later claiming to beraised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wallace grew up in neighboringClinton Hill.[7] Wallace was the only child of Voletta Wallace, a Jamaican preschool teacher, and George Latore, a welder and small-time Jamaican politician.[8] His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, leaving his mother to work two jobs while raising him. At the Queen of All Saints Middle School,Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because of his size before he turned 10.[9] At the age of 12, he began selling drugs. His mother, often away at work, did not know that her son was selling drugs until Wallace was an adult.[10]
At his request, Wallace transferred out of the private Roman Catholic Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School toattend the state-fundedGeorge Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were also students at that school. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school.[8] At seventeen, Wallace dropped out of high school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges inBrooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation.[11] A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealingcrack cocaine. He spent nine months behind bars until he made bail.[10]
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Rapping career
Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He would entertain people on the streetsas well as perform with local groups, the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques.[2] After being released from prison, Wallace made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to his childhood nickname and to his stature; he stood at 6' 3" (1.91 m) and weighed as much as 300 to 380 pounds according to differing accounts.[12] The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent of getting arecording deal, but was promoted by New York-based DJMister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and was heard by the editor of The Source.[11]
In March 1992, Wallace featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, and was invited to produce a recording with other unsigned artists in a move that was reportedly uncommon at the time.[13] The demo tape...