The Murder of Biggie Smalls

In this second edition of The Murder of Biggie Smalls, Cathy Scott delves behind the scenes to pore over police records, coroner reports, FBI files, and interviews Biggie’ The Notorious B.I.G.

exploded onto the hip-hip scene in 1995 with his platinum-selling album Ready to Die. Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace and performing as Notorious B.I.G., grew up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where he dropped out of high school to pursue street culture and his rapping style.

Biggie began emceeing his original raps, which were discovered by producer Sean “Puffy” Combs, who took Biggie’