Notorious B.I.G.

New sculpture of Biggie Smalls unveiled at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo

All photos courtesy of Noemie Trusty

December 7, 2022

New sculpture of Biggie Smalls unveiled at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo

A new sculpture of the "King of New York" now greets visitors entering Brooklyn. The Dumbo Improvement District and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership on Tuesday unveiled a 9-foot-tall bronze structure depicting hip-hop legend Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo. Created by artist Sherwin Banfield, the structure, titled "Sky's the Limit in the County of Kings," is dedicated to the "art, life, and legacy" of Wallace, who died 25 years ago.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC to celebrate Biggie Smalls’ 50th birthday with Empire State Building tribute, special MetroCards

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

May 18, 2022

NYC to celebrate Biggie Smalls’ 50th birthday with Empire State Building tribute, special MetroCards

By Aaron Ginsburg

One of hip-hop's most influential artists will be paid tribute by his hometown this weekend. On May 21, the Empire State Building will turn its lighting to red and white, with a crown spinning atop its mast, in honor of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., who would have turned 50 on Saturday. In Brooklyn, videos of Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace, will be shown at the Barclays Center entrance and special MetroCards featuring the icon will be sold at three nearby subway stations, Variety reports.
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Former Fort Greene home of Notorious B.I.G. sells for $2M

All photos courtesy of Compass

December 21, 2021

Former Fort Greene home of Notorious B.I.G. sells for $2M

By Devin Gannon

After just over three months on the market, the Fort Greene home that once belonged to the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. sold last week for $2,000,000, as the New York Post first reported. Located at 159 Carlton Avenue, the two-bedroom duplex sits within a former stable building and underwent a major renovation by the current owner, a well-known costume designer. The home, which is where Biggie lived when he released his iconic 1994 album "Ready to Die," was listed for $1,700,000 in September.
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For $1.2M, a lovely three-bedroom condo in the Clinton Hill building where Biggie Smalls grew up

Listing photos by Rise Media

October 5, 2021

For $1.2M, a lovely three-bedroom condo in the Clinton Hill building where Biggie Smalls grew up

By Dana Schulz

Thanks to a 2019 street co-naming, it's well known that Chris Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, grew up in an apartment at 226 St. James Place in Clinton Hill. The late rapper's childhood home was a three-bedroom unit on the third floor, and now, the unit just below it has hit the market for $1.2 million. Like Biggie's apartment, it's been fully renovated and features a lovely bay window, pretty moldings, and a renovated kitchen. It also has three bedrooms and totals 1,121 square feet.
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Distinctive Homes

Beautiful Fort Greene apartment once home to Notorious B.I.G. lists for $1.7M

Listing photos courtesy of Compass

September 9, 2021

Beautiful Fort Greene apartment once home to Notorious B.I.G. lists for $1.7M

By Dana Schulz

Not far from the Clinton Hill apartment where he grew up, the former Fort Greene home of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. and his wife Faith Evens has hit the market for $1.7 million, as the NY Post reported. The two-bedroom duplex is located in a former stable building at 159 Carlton Avenue and is today owned by a well-known costume designer who infused the apartment with a gorgeous mix of historic architecture, art, and stylish upgrades. According to the Post, Biggie Smalls released his famous album "Ready to Die" while living here in 1994.
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Sotheby’s hip hop auction includes Biggie Smalls’ crown from ‘King of New York’ photo & more gems

Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” leather jackets; Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

September 11, 2020

Sotheby’s hip hop auction includes Biggie Smalls’ crown from ‘King of New York’ photo & more gems

By Devin Gannon

Next week, Sotheby's will host its first-ever hip hop auction with iconic memorabilia from the music movement that got its start in New York City. One of the biggest items of the auction, which will be held live on September 15, is the crown worn by Brooklyn-born Biggie Smalls during the 1997 "King of New York" photo shoot, the last portrait of the rapper before he was killed just days later. Another amazing item at the auction includes over 20 love letters penned by a 16-year-old Tupac Shakur to his high school sweetheart.
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June 20, 2019

Notorious B.I.G.’s childhood home in Clinton Hill is renting for $4K a month

By Devin Gannon

Late rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s former home in Clinton Hill hit the market this week as a $4,000 per month rental, the New York Post reported. In the song "Juicy," the artist, whose real name is Christopher Wallace, refers to the apartment at 226 St. James Place as a "one-room shack." The listing describes the renovated unit as a three-bedroom home with additional office space in "the desired neighborhood of the Clinton Hill historic district."
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The Clinton Hill block where Notorious B.I.G. grew up has officially been named after the famous rapper

Images via New York City Council on Flickr

June 11, 2019

The Clinton Hill block where Notorious B.I.G. grew up has officially been named after the famous rapper

By Alexandra Alexa

Despite the rainy weather, hundreds of people gathered at St. James Place in Clinton Hill on Monday to honor the legacy of Christopher Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. As amNY first reported, the block between Fulton Street and Gates Avenue—where the famous rapper grew up—will now also be known as "Christopher 'Notorious B.I.G.' Wallace Way." Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, was present at the event and she remembered the last time she saw a huge crowd on the street, the day Biggie was murdered 22 years ago. “It was a sad day,” Wallace said, “and when I saw the crowds, tears came to my eyes and I said to my friend, ‘My son was well-loved.’” This time around, seeing everyone gathered there for the unveiling brought "happy tears" to her eyes.
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Celebrities

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

Via Flickr

December 27, 2018

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council last week unanimously voted to co-name streets in honor of three NYC music icons, Notorious B.I.G., the Wu-Tang Clan, and folk singer Woody Guthrie, Gothamist reported. If the bills are signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the block in Brooklyn where B.I.G. grew up will be called Christopher Wallace Way, after the rapper's birth name, Staten Island's Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street will be known as the Wu-Tang Clan District, and Woodie Guthrie Way will be found on Mermaid Avenue, marking where the singer lived in Coney Island.
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Policy

October 28, 2014

Cindy Gallop Puts Her Stefan Boublil-Designed “Black Apartment” Back on the Market for $6M

By Aisha Carter

New York City’s most famous bachelor pad—ironically owned by a woman—is back after being taken off the market earlier this year. The distinctive $5.995 million loft at 213 23rd Street, formerly the men’s locker room of the first YMCA in the U.S., was purchased by businesswoman Cindy Gallop in 2006 for $1.5 million. With an additional million, and the help of Stefan Boublil of interior design firm The Apartment, she gave the space a dramatic makeover, stating she wanted to feel like she was in a Shanghai nightclub. Its resulting “lacquered Chinese box” vibe has earned the Black Apartment a featuring role in Law & Order SVU, Notorious B.I.G’s “Nasty Girl” video, and many photo shoots. The notable home has undergone quite a transformation, rendering it practically unrecognizable as it prepares for a new owner, but let’s take a moment to admire its former interior in all its glitzy splendor.
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