13 years ago today, on March 9, 1997, Brooklyn-bred rapper the Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Christopher Wallace, was gunned down at a traffic light in Los Angeles as he left an after party for the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards. Two weeks later Wallace's second album, Life After Death, was released and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, solidifying his place as one of rap's greatest artists.

In SPIN's January 1998 issue, senior editor Charles Aaron and senior associate editor Sia Michel wrote moving remembrances of Wallace, examining his music, life, influence, and what exactly happened in the early hours of March 9, 1997. The articles -- which together won the ASCAP Deems-Taylor Award for music writing -- are available below in their full, original text.


http://www.spin.com/artic...orious-big


I can't believe 13 yrs have past.. I can remember just getting in the house from partying all night and hearing this on the news

I was in Philly visiting my aunt. I was in a light sleep, when it came over MTV. Kurt Loder broke the news. I remember jumping STRAIGHT up and being in a daze for that entire day.

I was listening to K104 from Dallas-Ft. Worth when I heard the announcement. I just thought it was so weird. It was one of the first celeb deaths to affect me. So surreal after already losing 2pac the previous autumn. I was simply shocked.

Biggie is def one of the best. Today is my birthday and I will never forget getting the news that he died. RIP

Perhaps is no coindice that rap ceased to be hip&cool after his death (Eminem and Lauryn Hill being the exception). The world of hip-hop truly lost his last prophet on March 9, 1997

RIP Biggie, Frank White, Brooklyn's Livest One, etc. etc.

One of the best to ever pick up a mic. One of the last emcees to flow with charm and soul. His gift is greatly missed.

His time period, together with 2Pac and the ascension/fall of Bad Boy and Death Row Records brought so much timeless hip-hop and R&B, the music industry seemed to go stale after his death.....well for me.


A hip-hop mix from that era would still turn a club upside down today.

I'm one of those people that enjoyed Biggie and Pac music equally. What the Biggie story taught me is to mindful of those in your inner circle.