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How Biggie Went From Ashy To Classy: By People Who Styled Him

Biggie Smalls was the illest...Big had a top-notch flow, a booming voice, and lyrics drenched in authenticity and humor. The all-time great MC born Christopher Wallace said it was all a dream, and then he took us on a ride from his time as a stressed-out kid in the streets... Read more

Kanye West Praises Diddy As A Hero While Dressed Like A Supervillain

Twenty-five years ago, Diddy released No Way Out, his first album as an artist after serving as an executive and producer for others throughout the decade. Puff Daddy & The Family, his crew at the time, included The LOX, Ma$e, the late Black Rob—all featured on the cover art, and... Read more

Lil Wayne Names His Top 5 & Missy Heads The Pack

Lil Wayne was a recent guest on What's Wright? With Nick Wright. There, the FOX Sports commenter and the New Orleans, Louisiana Rap superstar discussed the Green Bay Packers, Rap peers, and more. For Hip-Hop Heads, Wayne was asked to offer his Top 5 rappers list. “I got...for me, first:... Read more

Mary J Blige & Method Man Show Their Duet Still Has Mad Love To Give (Video)

Last night (June 23), the 19th BET Awards took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. For many Heads, the highlight of the evening surrounded Mary J. Blige, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Yonkers, New York representative also performed a medley of her hits, spanning nearly... Read more

Lil’ Kim & Lil’ Cease Make Peace After 15 Years On Biggie’s Birthday (Video)

In 1995, Junior M.A.F.I.A. released a Top 10-charting debut album in Conspiracy. Executive produced by The Notorious B.I.G. (who vocally participated on more than half of the project), the LP made key introductions from rapping members Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease. Both Brooklyn representatives, Kim and Cease would follow Conspiracy... Read more

A Video Shows Mobb Deep’s Lethal Sampling For “Murda Muzik,” On Its 19th Birthday

Mobb Deep's fourth album, Murda Muzik, remains their best-selling album to date. It began the duo's transition from New York street poets into a pair capable of making records that played on the radio, video shows, and the clubs at once. Havoc didn't forfeit his gift for sampling in the... Read more

Lil’ Kim & Fabolous Are The Brooklyn Bonnie & Clyde (Video)

Two Brooklyn, New York MCs who have been able to adapt their sound to other styles and markets are Lil' Kim and Fabolous. Both of these spitters can rock over Southern beats, West Coast beats, and dabble into Pop, Reggae, and R&B. No matter the production, tempo, slang, or the... Read more

Lil’ Kim Shows She’s The Original Queen Bee As She & Remy Ma Sting Nicki Minaj (Audio)

Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj have one of Rap music's longest-running beefs. Before Nick' was a YMCMB superstar, she apparently took early shots at Kim on Hoodstarz mixtapes. As Minaj's career rose meteorically in the late 2000s, Kim called out the fellow New Yorker for copying her style of rhyme... Read more

Lil’ Kim Confirms Recent Accounts Of Biggie’s Violence With Details Of Her Own (Video)

Last month, So So Def Records founder Jermaine Dupri told Drink Champs about witnessing Biggie Smalls threaten Lil' Kim at gunpoint during an Usher studio session. Dupri, who produced the resulting song ("Just Like Me") alleged, "So what [Biggie] did was he wrote the rap for Lil’ Kim…This was the... Read more

Jermaine Dupri Describes Biggie Threatening Lil’ Kim At Gunpoint (Video)

NOVEMBER 4 UPDATE: Lil' Kim has since confirmed Jermaine Dupri's report, with some additional clarifications. ORIGINAL OCTOBER 27 STORY: The Notorious B.I.G. and Junior M.A.F.I.A. protege, Lil' Kim had a complicated relationship. Biggie Smalls groomed Kim in his group offshoot, and had a documented romantic affair, despite the rapper's marriage... Read more

DJ Clue Reveals How He May Have Chosen Biggie’s 2 Most Successful Singles (Audio)

DJ Clue was a pivotal figure in bringing Hip-Hop mixtapes from street culture to the charts. The Queens, New York native began in the mid-1990s, and helped pioneer the idea of exclusives. Records by Wu-Tang Clan, Jay Z, and The Notorious B.I.G. would appear on the mixmaster's unauthorized cassettes and... Read more

Biggie, Method Man & Redman Are 3 Eternal Rap Phenomenons (Audio)

In the life and times of The Notorious B.I.G., outside of his Bad Boy and Junior M.A.F.I.A. families, two close associates were Method Man and Redman. Long before album plans existed from the members of Wu-Tang Clan and Def Squad, respectively, they were rolling with Biggie Smalls to concerts and... Read more

Daddy-O Releases Biggie’s Original Demos For Junior M.A.F.IA. For The First Time Ever (Audio)

When The Notorious B.I.G. (a/k/a Christopher Wallace) was murdered on March 9, 1997, he did not leave much music behind, relatively speaking. Later that month (March 25), Bad Boy Records would release Life After Death, a diamond-certified double-album containing 24 tracks from the Brooklyn, New York MC. To that point,... Read more

This Notorious B.I.G. & Lord Finesse Cypher Will BLOW YOUR MIND (Video)

The Notorious B.I.G. (a/k/a Biggie Smalls) is revered as one of Hip-Hop's greatest MCs. The Brooklyn, New Yorker beautifully inserted wit, wordplay, and lots of self-confidence into his most memorable rhymes. Somebody who started out just a couple years before Biggie was Bronx, New Yorker Lord Finesse. The MC/DJ/producer who... Read more

Mister Cee Celebrates Biggie’s B’day With A Mix Of Rarities & Deep Cuts

This past weekend, the world celebrated the life of Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. Puff Daddy reunited much of the Bad Boy Records family (and friends) with jaw-dropping Friday night show (May 20) at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center. Meanwhile, that same borough honored Biggie Smalls with... Read more

20 Years Later, Lil’ Kim & Faith Evans Make Peace After A Notorious Past (Video)

In his life, The Notorious B.I.G. was closely associated with two high-profile women. Faith Evans would marry Christopher Wallace in mid-1994 after just a two-week courtship. Providing vocals to Biggie's 1994 debut, Ready To Die, the Lakeland, Florida native would become one of Bad Boy Records first platinum R&B acts,... Read more

Fat Joe Reveals The NBA Player Whose Wife Biggie Described On “I Got A Story To Tell” (Video)

In late 2014, former New York Knicks star Point Guard John Starks appeared on ESPN's Highly Questionable. There, host Bomani Jones asked the former all-star about long-speculated rumors that The Notorious B.I.G. was dissing him on 1997's "I Got A Story To Tell." The Buckwild, Chucky Thompson, and Puff Daddy-produced... Read more

Puff Daddy, The LOX, Ma$e, Lil’ Kim & More Announce Bad Boy Reunion Tour Dates

It was almost one year ago that Puff Daddy reunited with much of his Bad Boy Worldwide hit-makers for a medley concert at the 2015 BET Awards. The televised June event featuring followed a co-headlined Snoop Dogg concert at Madison Square Garden in February. Symbolically, that concert was at the... Read more

Faith Evans Is Working On A Duets Album Featuring Vocals Of Her & Biggie (Audio)

The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans were husband and wife, parents, Bad Boy Records label-mates and collaborators together. Married for just two-and-a-half years before Biggie's 1997 murder, Evans would appear on "One More Chance," in addition to B.I.G. tribute song, "I'll Be Missing You." Approaching 20 years since the unsolved... Read more

Dr. Dre’s The Chronic vs. The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die. Which Is Better?

Last September, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: what is the greatest Rap Album Of All-Time? “Finding The GOAT Album” has considered more than 120 albums from the 80s, 90s and 2000s (40 in each), with options for... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. Jay Z’s The Blueprint. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Daddy-O Says “Rakim Told The Biggest Lie In Hip-Hop,” In An Unfiltered Interview (Video)

Professor Daddy-O is an MC/producer who has been actively working for 30 years. The front man for 1980s Brooklyn, New York pioneers Stetsasonic, Daddy-O would help introduce the world to Prince Paul (the group's DJ and one of its producers), as well as Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, and others.... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of…Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death vs. Ghostface Killah’s Ironman. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. MF DOOM’s Operation Doomsday. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 6): Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.G.…Who You Got?

With now only 6 MCs remaining, we have entered Round 6 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only two match-up’s—both running this week—remain until the final 4 are revealed. Since the elimination, bracket-style tournament was launched in September of 2014, including more... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 5): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Redman…Who You Got?

With just 11 MCs remaining we have reached the critical Round 5 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only five match-up’s—all running this week—separate Round 5 from the final six MCs, including Round 4 bye winner Big Daddy Kane. Since the elimination,... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Andre 3000…Who You Got?

We have reached the final match up in Round 4 of the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim received a bye for the round), things came down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH’s bracket-style series towards... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Big Pun…Who You Got

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

Young Biggie Smalls Bagged Groceries, Now The Same Store Is Painting A Mural In His Honor

The lyrics to "Juicy" color the story of The Notorious B.I.G.'s youth. Before he was Biggie Smalls, Christopher Wallace was earning his money to buy mixtapes and Rap magazines by bagging groceries in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The same supermarket where Biggie worked as a teenager in the late 1980s remains,... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Lil’ Kim vs. Ghostface Killah…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. GZA…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

Finding The GOAT: Ma$e vs. Lil’ Kim…Who You Got?

As we continue the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups in a sequence not... Read more

Lil’ Kim Clarifies Biggie Smalls Writing Her Verses, Wants Credit From Beyonce (Video)

With her new mixtape, Hard Core 2K14 starting some talk and grabbing lots of listens, Lil' Kim has plenty to speak about. The highly-acclaimed female MC soloist, the Notorious K.I.M took her saved seat at The Breakfast Club. There, Kim took the hard questions, and handled them all. In the... Read more

Saigon Bursts From Comment Sections To Chillin’ With DJ Premier & Lil Cease (Video)

A product of the Internet-era of Hip-Hop, Saigon has always been an artist for the streets before the servers. In his video for the GSN3: The Troubled Times Of Brian Carenard single, "Nunya," Saigon highlights his haters in the message boards and comments sections, and then laughs about it alongside... Read more

Lil’ Kim Goes At Nicki Minaj Yet Again… Is This The Best Look For Her? (Audio)

Two days removed from her August 4 reigniting of the war of words with Nicki Minaj ("Flawless Remix"), Lil' Kim comes in for a second charge.  The onetime Junior M.A.F.I.A. breakout platinum superstar released "Identity Thief," a song that may or may not take a backseat to its artwork in... Read more

Check Rare Footage Of The Notorious B.I.G. Cosigning Lil’ Kim’s Solo Career & Raekwon Stories Wu-Tang Clan’s Logo (Video)

Gearing up for the next segment in BET's "The Message," clips are meshed together in the preview featuring everybody from the late Notorious B.I.G., to Birdman, to 2 Chainz, to Kendrick Lamar, to Jermaine Dupri. Included are Biggie recalling (to Joe Clair) a candid convo with Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Lil' Kim... Read more

Jon Connor Sets His Sights On The Notorious B.I.G.’s Beats For #BestInTheWorld, Vol. 1 (Mixtape)

Last month, Jon Connor launched his #BestInTheWorld campaign paying tribute to another Midwestern MC in a Kanye West-inspired tape. Flint, Michigan's newest Rap hopeful continues the theme, turning his aim on The Notorious B.I.G.'s catalog. Overtop beats made by DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, and of course Puffy's Hitmen, #ConnorSeason... Read more

Biggie Smalls, Suge Knight, Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg In The Same Room In The Early ’90s? Check The Tapes (Video)

Much has been written, speculated, and sadly, testified in the rift between Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records in the mid-to-late 1990s. While Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were once friends and collaborators, Heads often fail to realize that prior to the 1995 Source Awards, things were not... Read more

DJ SNS Liberates The Original Mixtape Version Of Biggie’s Who Shot Ya With A Keith Murray Verse (Audio)

It could be easily argued that the 1990s was the ultimate decade for mixtapes. Still on cassettes, New York masters like Kid Capri, Doo Wop, Tony Touch, DJ Clue, Ron G, Silva Surfa, Green Lantern, and a host of others competed with each other for the best exclusives, freestyles, strongest... Read more

J. Period Honors The Iconic Biggie Smalls With March 9th Revisited (Mixtape)

DJ J. Period is among the absolute best deejays doing it right now. When he's not providing the sounds for the Brooklyn Nets, the longtime affiliate to Zion I, Black Thought, and Common makes conceptual, fully-produced mixtapes (often released in clever formats like t-shirts, zip drives, etc.) that honor the... Read more

Rare European 1995 Notorious B.I.G. Interview Released (Video)

1995 was such an interesting year in the life of The Notorious B.I.G. In the year following Ready To Die, Biggie Smalls transitioned from the Bed-Stuy rapper on the stoop kickin' it with DJ Premier, R.A. The Rugged Man, and Organized Konfusion to a mafiaso-dressing MC who wore shades, carried... Read more

Sign A Petition To Rename A Brooklyn Street After Biggie Smalls

Fresh off of renaming a Brooklyn park after the Beastie Boys' MCA, Hip-Hop fans are fighting that good fight to honor another late B.K. icon. Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls) grew up on Fulton Street, between St. James and Cambridge Place in Clinton Hill—you've probably heard... Read more