Biggie Smalls Is the Illest
Authenticity defines what is ‘real’ and what is not. Having ones own genuine, homegrown swagger and to then continue to maintain that strut as ones career (or life in general) carries on. The most prominent aspect to being authentic is having the courage to design entirely new, different and altered concepts and bring them into the mainstream, or at the very least attempt to do so. Turn the page to 19990’s hip-hop. The Rock N’ Roll era was over and it was time for a new genre to takeover. The 90’s contained so much diversity in it’s sound to the point where it started a phenomenon; the rap game.
Within this frenzy of shootings, gang pride, and territorial disputes came one of the greatest hip hop artists to ever live. His sound had a Jamaican ring to it, thanks to his mother who was a Jamaican native. His deep ‘uh-n’s in his tracks were so organic that it was good enough to get his name out throughout Jamaica Queens, NY and then eventually to the desk of P. Diddy. Diddy is often recognized as the ‘founding father’ of the Notorious B. I. G. When the 90’s reached their midpoint, Biggie Smalls and Diddy had created an empire which they called Bad Boy records.
As both their business senses grew keener, so did the killer instinct of the west coast rap artists. Unfortunately, so much hype was surfaced in the media pertaining to the differences between East Coast style and West Coast style, so much that the murder rates were skyrocketing in major cities…and nobody saw an end in sight. The media brought the two most prominent figures into question; Christopher Wallace and Tupac Shakur. Now, there is a theory of a ‘beef’ between these two rappers that happened one night but it will take much too long to explain.
In the end, Christopher Wallace was shot while visiting California, doing a tour on the West Coast. From there it’s all history. Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace left his ginormous Timberland boot-print on hip hop forever. His audacity lead him to create a whole new sound in hip hop, a sound that made people bump and dance to in the NY clubs. No body wanted to listen to Ice Cube or Dr. Dre bellow about crack rocks and cutting people. Sure, Biggie has drug and weapon references, but that’s hip hop.
That is how it has always been, and Biggie changed the face of rap by his unique talents and finding his own authentic sound. Brooklyn stand up. “To protect my position, my corner, my layer While we out here, say the hustlas prayer If the game shakes me or breaks me I hope it makes me a better man Take a better stand Put money in my moms hand Get my daughter this college plan, so she don’t need no man Stay far from timid Only make moves when ya heart’s-in-it And live the phrase Sky’s The Limit” The Notorious B. I. G. “Sky’s The Limit” featuring 112 Life After Death (Disc 2) (1997)
