Brooklyn Shows Just How Much It Respects the Notorious B.I.G With These Dedications

The Notorious B.I.G. was born and raised in what is now Clinton Hill. The neighborhood is incredibly proud to have been the home of one of history’s most talented musicians. Even in the present day, people flock from around the world to the area to pay their respects to the man who revolutionized rap music. 

The neighborhood may have changed significantly since Biggie Smalls passed away. But Clinton Hill has shown that its appreciation of the man and the mythos surrounding him will endure. The most prominent example of this occurred in 2019, when news outlets announced that the street where the musician grew up would be named in his honor. 

The date of the naming took place on what would have been Notorious B.I.G.’s 47th birthday.

On June 10th, 2019, elected officials, the rapper’s family members and a wide range of fans gathered at St. James Place and Fulton Street in a ceremony celebrating the mounting of a new sign confirming the name. Specific important individuals who attended the ceremony included the musician’s mother, Voletta Wallace; the musician’s son and daughter, CJ and T’yanna; and then Brooklyn Borough President and future New York City Mayor Eric Adams. They cheered as the sign was added to the area. From that point onward, the block would be known as ‘Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way.’ 

In addition to this naming, a number of other local tributes to Notorious B.I.G. are easy to find throughout the area. For instance, within a 15-minute walk east of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G” Wallace Way is a 38-foot mural depicting the musician. The mural, which was created by the artists Scoot Zimmerman and Maoufal Alaoui, is located on Bedford Avenue and Quincy Street. Notorious B.IG. is shown wearing a crown, with text proclaiming him to be the king of New York.  

And within a 12-minute walk to the west of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way is another impressive mural. This one, located at South Portland Avenue and Fulton Street, was created by Cern One, Jorge Garcia and Lee Quinones. It styles Biggie Smalls in a similar fashion to the famous image of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and proclaims the musician to be “¡Commandant Biggie!.”

And these are just the most prominent dedications to the man who changed music forever. As with so many talented musicians, Notorious B.I.G. was gone too soon. But thanks to tributes like this, he will never be forgotten.