29 Years Ago Today, One of the Most Influential Rappers of All Time Was Killed
Twenty-nine years ago today, Christopher Wallace — known to the world as the Notorious B.I.G., or simply Biggie — was shot and killed in Los Angeles. He was 24 years old.
By early 1997, Wallace was actively trying to put the East Coast-West Coast rap feud behind him. His 1994 debut Ready to Die sold millions, and he was putting the finishing touches on his highly anticipated sophomore album, Life After Death. He traveled to Los Angeles to shoot the video for its lead single, "Hypnotize," and stayed for the Soul Train Music Awards, where he gave interviews expressing sadness over the September 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur.
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On the evening of March 8, Wallace and the Bad Boy Records entourage attended an after-party hosted by Vibe magazine at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The guest list read like a who's who of the era — Faith Evans, Aaliyah, Queen Latifah, Chris Tucker, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and more than 1,000 others were in attendance.
How Did Biggie Die?
As the party wound down, Wallace settled into the front passenger seat of a green GMC Suburban. Sean "Puffy" Combs' lead vehicle pulled ahead through a yellow light, leaving Wallace's group idling at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. A dark-colored Chevrolet Impala SS pulled alongside the Suburban. The driver lowered his window, drew a pistol, and fired six shots. Wallace was struck by four bullets.
Combs rushed to his friend's vehicle and found him slumped over, bleeding. A driver floored it to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where six people lifted Wallace onto a gurney and rushed him into emergency surgery. The fatal shot struck several vital organs — his colon, liver, heart, and left lung. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.
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Nine days later, thousands of fans lined the streets of his childhood neighborhood in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, to watch his funeral procession pass. Diddy, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes were among those who attended the service.
Life After Death was released just 16 days after his death. It debuted at number one.
The Status of Biggie's Murder Case Today
The murder has never been solved. Various theories have circulated for nearly three decades — some pointing to the East Coast-West Coast feud, others implicating figures connected to Death Row Records. A retired LAPD detective later alleged the hit was ordered by Suge Knight from inside county jail, carried out by a man named Wardell "Poochie" Fouse — who was himself killed in an unrelated gang shooting in 2003 before charges could ever be filed. No one has ever been charged.