A documentary about one of hip-hop’s all-time greats, whose life ended abruptly, is coming.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a documentary about Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, is being made. Time Studios is behind the upcoming feature, Understanding Christopher Wallace, which feature Biggie’s son,
C.J. Wallace, who serves as a narrator.The documentary will be “an intimate look at the untold life story of one of the greatest rappers to ever live…from the perspective of the son who never knew him.” Wallace, whose mother is former Bad Boys recording artist Faith Evans, was only five months old when his father was killed on March 9, 1997, after attending a VIBE magazine event in California.
“Over the past few years, I realized my personal journey is connected to understanding who Christopher George Latore Wallace was outside of his big rap persona,” C.J. Wallace said in a written statement. “I am on a journey to fully understand the world he lived in and the massive impact he had on American and Black history, and by doing so, I can ensure that I honor his hopes and dreams while I build and create my own legacy for future generations of Wallaces.”
Participants in the documentary include Evans, Lil Kim, and Biggie’s rhyming partner, Lil Cease.
“The Notorious B.I.G. had such an immense impact on not only music but also on popular culture as a whole. But this film is about so much more than that,” Loren Hammonds, head of documentary at Time Studios, said. “It’s about fatherhood, loss, and love. It’s incredibly special to be able to let audiences learn about the man behind the myth through C.J.’s eyes, and we’re very proud to play a part in carrying on Christopher Wallace’s inimitable legacy.”
The Notorious B.I.G. may be the reason for the initial success of Sean Combs’ Bad Boy Records. He followed behind Craig Mack, the first artist to release a record on the label. Before he died, his friendship and collaborations with Jay-Z set high expectations for the hip-hop world.
Some believe that if not for the death of Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z wouldn’t have reached such dizzying heights because Biggie was deemed a better emcee. Jay-Z has stated publicly that Biggie was an inspiration to him.
No official release date has been set for Understanding Christopher Wallace.