The Notorious B.i.g

The biggest hip hop stars have weighed in on the terrible tragedy that was the death of The Notorious B.I.G. 20 years ago. The sadness felt in the rap community is testament to Biggie's timeless talent, and the sheer size of his impact on lyricists around the world.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs remembers his old pal Biggie

In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie aka Biggie Smalls was killed in a drive-by shooting in LA at the age of just 24, just weeks before the release of his seminal second album 'Life After Death'. Now, on the 20th anniversary of his passing, his friends and fans have opened up about the saddening loss. 

Continue reading: Diddy Leads Tributes For The 20th Anniversary Of The Death Of The Notorious B.I.G.

Johnny Depp is to take on his first post-divorce movie project by starring in the forthcoming Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. as a police detective who investigated the unsolved murders of the two rap stars.

The Hollywood Reporter indicates that 53 year old Depp is attached to the project to play Russell Poole, the LAPD detective who investigated the slayings of the East and West Coast rap giants in LAbyrinth, a film to be directed by Brad Furman (of The Lincoln Letter) and whose release date is as yet unconfirmed.

Johnny Depp is to play LAPD detective Russell Poole, who investigated the high-profile murders in 1997

Continue reading: Johnny Depp To Star In Biggie And Tupac Film 'LAbyrinth'

Another year, another Suge Knight arrested story huh? This time, the founder of Death Row Records was stopped shortly before midnight in Los Angeles on Wednesday (September 11, 2013) on an outstanding warrant. 

According to the Associated Press, police officer Sara Faden said the mogul was stopped on a traffic violation though was already wanted on a misdemeanour warrant. Cops took him into custody before he was released several hours later on $20,000 bail.

A warrant was issued for Knight's arrest in February after he skipped a court appearance for driving with a license. The notorious CEO - who helped make stars of rappers Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur - filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and experienced countless legal problems over the past couple of decades.

Continue reading: Does Anyone Still Believe Suge Knight Killed Tupac Shakur?

Cara Delevigne [L] and Rita Ora [R] Rapping Together On-Stage

Cara Delevingne joined her best pal Rita Ora on-stage at the DKNY Art Works party, which the Burberry model hosted on Wednesday night (June 12, 2013). Iggy Azalea and Wretch 32 had entertained the crowds at the Old Firestation on Lambeth High Street, though it was Rita's duet with Cara that really raised the roof. 

Cara showed off her dance moves and rapping skills on a rendition of Notorious BIG's 'Juicy' - and, well, they weren't half bad. The model wore a black jumpsuit with elaborate jewellery and high top sneakers, while pal Rita opted for a blue and black top with black skirt.

Continue reading: Cara Delevingne And Rita Ora Rap On-Stage To Notorious BIG [Pictures]

The children of the late rapper Notorious BIG are working alongside the Ossian Studios production company to bring their father back to life as a cartoon ghost. In a series entitled The House of Wallace, Biggie’s kids, CJ and T’yanna Wallace will also feature in the animated series, with their father appearing in ethereal form, to provide them with advice, as they go, the Guardian reports.

The House of Wallace will be based in Notorious BIG’s recording studio. “It's been 16 years since our dad was murdered and we miss him dearly," said the Wallace kids. "This project … is a great opportunity for us to bridge the gap between our parents, who loved his music, and the kids and young adults our ages, that were not around to really appreciate it.” According to the report, the animated series will also feature a number of musical guests and will feature original songs, as well as a number of product placements, along the way. It’s unclear what kind of brands will benefit from this alignment with the Wallace family, as Ossian Studios are still very much at the development stages with the work.

Notorious BIG waxwork: the rapper will now come back in cartoon form, too

Continue reading: The House Of Wallace: Notorious BIG To Return As A Cartoon Ghost?

Miami rapper Rick Ross was the target of a drive-by shooting Florida on Monday (January 28, 2013), narrowly escaping the attack but not before crashing his car into a nearby apartment block. Detectives are on the hunt for the perpetrator though in the meantime, Ross has been advised to bulk up on security. Though it's entirely possible it was a random attack, there's also the belief that somebody out there wants the rapper dead.

"I think the next step for Ross to take is security. Lots and lots of security," he said. "There is no shame in having security depending on your level of celebrity. Certain artists just can't do things that regular people can do," said Brian B. Dot Miller of RapRadar.com. Hip-hop music has been marred by violence in the past - leading to the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG - and it almost became all too real again on Monday. "I think this is a sad day for hip-hop because a lot of times we all partake in the entertainment of it, without realizing that hip-hop was always built on the foundation of realness and keeping it real," said Kim Osorio, editor in chief of The Source magazine.

Fort Lauderdale police have confirmed that Ross was driving his silver Rolls Royce when the shooting occurred at 5am near the intersection of Southwest 15th Avenue and East Las Olas Boulevard. 

Continue reading: Rick Ross Advised To Take "Lots And Lots Of Security" After Shooting

Notorious B.I.G's death remains enigmatic, but in the on-going attempt to determine what happened on the night of March 9, 1997, when the 24 year old rapper was shot dead, has opened up a fresh wound for his family, as the autopsy report was released early, and not to their knowledge, The L.A Times reports. 

"Our detectives personally spoke with the Wallace family [Friday] night, and apologized for not notifying them prior to the release" said Capt. Billy Hayes, who leads the Robbery-Homicide Division - which is investigating the killing. "Obviously this has been a challenging case for us to solve. We hope that witnesses or other people with information will come forward and give us the clues we need to solve this case." In the majority, the results of an autopsy are released shortly after the coroner's office has completed its investigation, but in a few instances, particularly high-profile investigations, the autopsy results are withheld while the case is under investigation.

The LAPD opted to release the autopsy "as an investigative tool, in the hopes that releasing the report would stimulate additional interest or bring forth witnesses or clues in the case." Wallace was shot four times in March 1997 in a drive-by attack on Wilshire Boulevard, however, the case remains unsolved. "Due to an administrative error, the autopsy report was released prematurely.  Robbery-Homicide Division detectives had intended to notify Mr. Wallace's family prior to releasing the report," the LAPD said in a statement. 

Continue reading: L.A.P.D Left Red Faced After Untimely Release Of Notorious B.I.G's Autopsy Report

Last week, after fifteen years in police custody, the autopsy report into the death of the late rapper the Notorious BIG was made public for the first time. Now, the Los Angeles Police Department have issued an apology to the family of Biggie Smalls, real name Christopher Wallace, after it emerged that they were unaware and unwilling to have the details made public in the first place.

Biggie's family were allegedly unaware that the medical report detailing the rapper's cause of death in 1997 was set to be made public last week, and as you can imagine they were less than happy when such intimate details were laid bare for all to see. LAPD had allegedly intended to notify the rapper's family about the unveiling, but according to a public statement released yesterday (Dec 8) the report was released prematurely "due to an administrative error."

The report revealed that Wallace was shot multiple times, however it was one fatal shot his heart, left lung and colon that caused his death. The report also reveals that at the time of his death the rapper was not under the influence of either drugs nor alcohol.

Continue reading: LAPD Issue Apology To Family Of Notorious BIG Over Autopsy Statement Release

Rap icon The Notorious B.I.G. has had new light shone on to his death after a police autopsy report gave new insight into his death by drive-by shooting fifteen years ago, revealing the trajectory of the bullets which ended his life.

Whilst this new information may offer some solace to some fans, Biggie's family are up in arms about the revelation as they were assured that the case had been solved, however now it seems as though police are still without a lead despite a decade and a half worth of investigations. The family's lawyer, Perry Sanders, issued a statement to AFP on Friday to lament that nobody has been arrested over the 1997 killing, despite the fact that police assured the family that the unknown assailant had been captured.

Sanders told AFP in an emailed statement, "The family has been advised that the murder has been solved, and they are hurt and disgusted by the fact that no one has been arrested. This is a horrible miscarriage of justice."

Continue reading: Notorious B.I.G. Autopsy Report Unveiled To The Public For First Time

Fifteen years after he was shot down, information on a post-mortem that has been kept private until now has revealed new information on the late rapper the Notorious BIG has been made public for the first time.

The new information into the death of Biggie Smalls reveals that he died when a single bullet pierced his left lung, heart and colon - of course this new information fails to give any insight into who Biggie's unknown assailant is. The 23-page document also confirms that no drugs nor alcohol were present in his body at the time of his death as well as detailing the trajectory of the shots that hit him.

The unsolved case has been the centre of controversy ever since the homicide was committed, which at the time prompted a nationwide manhunt from police and federal agents. Numerous conspiracy theories having sprung up about the death of the rapper, real name Christopher Wallace, including many linking his death with fellow rapper Tupac Shakur's death. One such theory suggests their deaths were engineered by Death Row Records co-founder Marion ‘Suge’ Knight in order to appear as the result of a fictitious feud between the two, although songs like 'Who Shot Ya' and 'Hit Em Up' would suggest the feud wasn't exactly fictitious.