Lil Cease & Cardan – Ten Crack Commandments video, produced by Cookin Soul, from the DJ Drama & Cookin Soul Present “The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute”

12 years on, people are still missing the talent of the young Christopher Notorious B.I.G. Wallace

Few of us that were fans of Hip Hop back in 1997 can forget the feeling of shock when the news that the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered first hit the news. The man, who’s single “Hypnotize” had started getting heavy rotation for both it’s video and song (on the radio/in clubs) was destined to release his next album “Life After Death” just days after the tragic murder had occurred, and with a title such as “Life After Death,” conspiracy theorists and eerie feelings surrounded the event. Having had it take place so close (just several months) after the heavily scrutinized Tupac Shakur killing, people were floored and confused.

However, sadly, it was real and a talented artist was murdered long before his talent seemed fully realized. Many claim his death heightened his fame and reverence, but when doesn’t that happen?

His wide ranging influence is still felt by the industry as rappers continue to imitate his wordplay and style.

So put on some classic Biggie today, be it the depressing “Suicidal Thoughts,” the optimistic “Sky’s The Limit” or the nostalgic “Juicy.” The songs do still stand the test of time, unlike a lot of today’s rap.

Lil Cease – Letter To B.I.G. video from the Notorious soundtrack

Love Bug Starski Remembers Biggie

Jadakiss – Letter To B.I.G. video featuring Faith Evans from the NOTORIOUS original motion picture soundtrack

These are the first of a series of “Rembering Biggie” videos that we will be releasing over the next few days…look out for more celebrity reflections of Biggies Life and Legacy over the next few days….from Celebs such as Lamar Odom, Mark Ronson, Camp Lo, Love Bug Starski, etc…

Un Kasa talks about Biggie:

Juelz Santana talks about Biggie:

NOTORIOUS B.I.G. EXPLODES ONTO BILLBOARD 200; SOUNDTRACK TO SMASH BIOPIC ENTERS CHART AT #4, MARKING THE WEEK’S TOP DEBUT; FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES’ NOTORIOUS ALSO LIGHTING UP BOX OFFICES NATIONWIDE

Bad Boy Records’ “NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” has made a remarkable chart entry, arriving on the Billboard 200 at #4, with sales of 43,000 – the week’s top debut. What’s more, the musical companion to the blockbuster Fox Searchlight motion picture has arrived at #1 on the “Top Rap Albums” tally, and #2 on both the “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” and “Top Digital Albums” charts.

NOTORIOUS has also proven a true cinematic event, grossing $23.4 million in its first four days in release. The film opened January 16th in 1,638 locations with the highest per screen of all films in release – $14,286.

“NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” features timeless Notorious B.I.G. classics like “Juicy” and “Hypnotize” alongside never-before-released demos and new tracks by some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z and Jadakiss. The album is highlighted by the Kanye West-produced single, “Brooklyn Go Hard,” performed by Jay-Z and featuring Santogold. The track is currently a top 25 hit on Billboard’s “Hot Rap Tracks” chart.

Furthermore, the soundtrack showcases an additional single/video, “Letter to B.I.G.” by Jadakiss (Feat. Faith Evans), as well as a new version of the Notorious B.I.G. milestone, “One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix),” featuring CJ Wallace and Faith Evans.

At the heart of “NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” is the everlasting music of the Notorious B.I.G. Among the classics included on the collection are “Warning,” “One More Chance/Stay With Me Remix,” and “Kick In The Door.” The album is highlighted by a number of previously unreleased demos, including “Microphone Murderer” and “Guaranteed Raw,” as well as the Notorious B.I.G.’s first-ever officially released track, “Party and Bullsh**” (originally from the soundtrack to the 1993 film, Who’s The Man?).

“NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” has drawn extensive critical praise. “There are just a few great soundtracks out there,” noted the New York Post. “The music for A Clockwork Orange is one, and the record supporting The Big Chill is another. Add this rap record to that small list.” Newsday declared the album to be “a first-rate reminder of the greatness of the Notorious B.I.G.,” while the Baltimore Examiner called it “a must-have.” The Philadelphia Inquirer summed it up: “Anyone who needs to be clued in as to what made the Notorious B.I.G. a great rapper can get that schooling here.”

A special edition of the album is available exclusively at Target stores nationwide. The two-disc set includes an all-new documentary DVD, Remembering Christopher Wallace, featuring exclusive, never-before-seen private interviews with the family members who carry on the Notorious B.I.G.’s memory, including his mother, daughter, and son.

NOTORIOUS charts the remarkable rise of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace – who, in just a few short years, shot from the tough streets of Brooklyn to the heights of hip-hop legend. Peeling back his mythic image eleven years after his tragic death, NOTORIOUS reveals the tumultuous and all-too-brief journey of a blazingly talented, fiercely determined young man whose unforgettable rap stories of inner city street life, with their raw truth and vivid rhymes, became emblematic of a whole generation’s brutal reality and its dreams of escaping it for something bigger.

Fox Searchlight Pictures presents a Voletta Wallace Films/By Storm Films/State

Street Pictures and Bad Boy Films production, NOTORIOUS, directed by George Tillman, Jr. (SOUL FOOD, MEN OF HONOR), from a script by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker. Producers are Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace, former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, Robert Teitel and Trish Hofmann. Sean “P Diddy” Combs serves as the film’s Executive Producer, and George Paaswell is the co-producer.

NOTORIOUS stars Angela Bassett (ER, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns), Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher, Friday Night Lights, Miracle at St. Anna), Jamal Woodward in his motion picture debut as the Notorious B.I.G., and Anthony Mackie.

…”Notorious” is a rock-solid biopic with a foolproof rise-and-fall storyline and a warmly nuanced performance by Jamal Woolard as iconic rapper Christopher Wallace — aka Biggie Smalls - Variety

“…this is the first gotta-see movie of 2009. It has terrific performances, a powerful soundtrack and eye-catching visuals” – HollywoodReporter.com

Newcomer Jamal Woolard plays the lead role so closely that it’s almost chilling. “The mannerism, the behavior, the walk, the chin up high…,” he says of how he studied B.I.G.’s movements. “That’s what I really had to get.” The result is a performance that is not just physically uncanny but multi-layered in character portrayal as director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Barbershop) jam-packed a snap-shot of a decade of B.I.G.’s life into a 38 day shoot. – AOL Music

Check out Biggie’s musical inspirations and musicians who have been inspired by Biggie here

Synopsis: In just a few short years, The Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation.

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Antonique Smith, Naturi Naughton, Dennis White

NOTORIOUS
IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY!
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

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