Just off the heels of celebrating what would’ve been the 50th birthday of Christopher Wallace, The Notorious B.I.G., the rapper and hip-hop legend’s son, C.J. Wallace, is working hard to keep his father’s legacy alive.
C.J. joined Lil Kim at her annual B.I.G. Dinner Gala on May 21 to celebrate the late rapper’s milestone birthday. C.J. performed his father’s verse from the song “One More Chance” alongside Kim, Lil Cease, and Fat Joe.
“It’s still something I still haven’t really come to grips with all the emotions and everything,” C.J. tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“But, it was it was a beautiful week. These past few weeks have been just overwhelming with support and love from everybody.”
Behind the scenes, the 25-year-old actor keeps Biggie’s name and brand alive. With New York City Mayor Eric Adams declaring May 21 as “Christopher ‘The Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace Day,” last month, C.J. is ready to carry on his father’s legacy in ways that amplify the culture.
One way is with his company, Think BIG.
“That one was created, really out of my out of my passion and just curiosity for cannabis and wanting to see the stigma for cannabis taken away,” C.J. says of his Think BIG brand.
The offspring of Biggie Smalls and singer Faith Evans notes how both of his parents turned to cannabis for their “creative process.” C.J. also recalls his mom opting for CBD products over pharmaceutical drugs for his autistic brother.
incontent-ad2">“Cannabis. CBD. They’ve always been around in my family,” C.J. says. “My dad used it for his creative process. My mom used it through her creative process. And my mom was always against pharmaceutical products like Ritalin to treat my brother. So there was always CBD first.”
C.J. sees his Think BIG brand as a form of social justice that will eventually transition into a nonprofit. His Frank White imprint serves as a lifestyle fashion brand. (“Frank White” was one of Biggie’s aliases.)
“We did a collab with Mitchell & Ness. We just released our collection with Lexus. So yeah, it’s just a bunch of different creative opportunities with Frank White. Like we can really do whatever we want,” he says.
The Notorious B.I.G. had a love of the luxury lifestyle and owned several Lexus vehicles that he mentioned in numerous hit songs, including “Hypnotize,” “Warning,” and “One More Chance.” As part of the collaboration, Frank White and Lexus are introducing a new era to his father’s legacy while celebrating Black culture and creativity.
“My dad talked about Lexus so much. He loved Lexus, he drove Lexus. So it only made sense for us to make that collaboration happen,” C.J. says
Now with an official Notorious B.I.G. Day in NYC, C.J. hopes to see an official block party in the coming years.