The Notorious B.I.G.

USA, 1992–1997

American rapper (1972-1997, Christopher Wallace). Ready to Die (1994) put an unhurried, conversational baritone over hard Brooklyn narrative; he was shot dead in Los Angeles at 24, at the height of the feud with the West Coast.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced The Notorious B.I.G. and 0 artists The Notorious B.I.G. influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced The Notorious B.I.G.?

• Big Daddy Kane — Kane's deep, controlled baritone is the precursor to the sturdy-yet-nimble flow Biggie built.
• Rakim — Rakim's dexterous rhyming is the other half of what Biggie's flow was built out of.
• Kool G Rap — Biggie's crime storytelling comes out of the mafioso rap G Rap built.