The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Small, was one of the most iconic American rappers of the 1990s. Though he died in 1997, he remains relevant to this day, and young children are still able to recognize his legacy. However, despite the fact that much of Biggie’s life has been put on display, there are still some things that many people do not know about him. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about The Notorious B.I.G. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Was a Big Prankster. According to an interview one of Biggie’s close friends did, he would prank anybody who so much as began falling asleep around him – especially if they had been smoking weed. One of his favorite pranks was to place a lit match in the hand of whoever was sleeping and wait for them to wake up when the match began to burn them.
Number Fourteen: He Wrote a Lot of Lil’ Kim’s Lyrics. Lil’ Kim and The Notorious B.I.G. were romantically intimate, and he even ghostwrote a lot of her lyrics as well. This becomes quite entertaining to think about when you consider the nature of her lyrics at the time.
Number Thirteen: He Was Close With Shaq. Shaquille O’Neal revealed in an interview that he was close friends with Biggie Smalls. In fact, Biggie was en route to hang out with O’Neal on the very same night he was killed.
Number Twelve: He Recorded Himself Receiving Oral Sex. At the end of the song “Respect,” it is possible to hear Biggie receiving oral sex. There is also another moment during “#!*@ Me (Interlude)” in which Lil’ Kim and Biggie can be heard rocking on a piano stool in the studio.
Number Eleven: He Gave Away “Ready to Die” From His House. And the fact that he was giving it away caused a line to form outside of his house. According to Busta Rhymes, that was the way that Biggie wanted to market himself.
Number Ten: He Got the Name “Biggie Smalls” From a Bill Cosby Movie. Well, sort of. Biggie got the name from Calvin Lockhart’s character in the film Let’s Do It Again, which also stars Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. The film was released in 1975.
Number Nine: He Was Friends With 2pac. Before there was beef between Biggie and 2pac, they actually worked together! You can hear their collaboration on Eddie F.’s 1994 song, “Let’s Get It On.”