Brooklyn's finest—who packed entire novels of street life into a flow so fluid it made everything around it sound effortful.
Christopher George Latore Wallace was born on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jamaican immigrant parents. He dropped out of high school, sold crack, and was arrested before a demo tape landed him a deal with Bad Boy Records under Puff Daddy's wing. His 1994 debut Ready to Die was a landmark—a brutally honest portrait of ghetto life told with cinematic detail and effortless technical mastery. His double album Life After Death, recorded before his death, debuted at number one and went diamond. His delivery—unhurried, conversational, immaculately syllable-precise—influenced virtually every rapper who followed. He was shot and killed in a drive-by in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, at 24, six months after the murder of his rival Tupac Shakur. The case remains unsolved. He had two children who never knew their father.
“Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart's in it.”
“If you don't love yourself, I'll make you see your own heart.”
Set a technical and narrative standard for East Coast hip-hop that defined the genre's golden era and influenced the cadence and storytelling of every rapper who followed.
Every family has moments, wisdom, and memories worth preserving. Capture them before it's too late — with guided prompts, a beautiful timeline, and a shareable link your whole family can cherish.
Start Your Story → Free 7-day trial · No credit card requiredEvery life deserves to be remembered. Start your 7-day free trial — no credit card required.
Start Your Free Trial →7 days free · No credit card · Cancel anytime