The Notorious B.I.G. will be honored as the King of New York on late rapper’s 50th birthday.
NYC's celebration plans for B.I.G.'s 50th birthday
Special Empire State Building lights and subway MetroCards will be part of the celebration.
A tribute is set to take place for the late rap icon, also known as Biggie Smalls, on May 21 — which would’ve been the golden anniversary of the day he was born.
In honor of the legendary rapper, born Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. was only 24 years old, his work transcended and those who keep his memory alive wish to honor him this Saturday, his half-century birthday.
The Empire State Building will light up in red and white and feature a crown spinning along its mast in honor of Biggie’s multi-platinum debut Ready to Die.
The New York City MTA will also release a special edition MetroCard adorned with Biggie’s image, which will be available at three subway stations near his old Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood (Lafayette Avenue, Clinton – Washington Ave. and Atlantic Ave. – Barclays Center).
The late rapper was heading home after attending Vibe magazine’s Soul Train Awards after-party. Biggie was gunned down during a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. In an autopsy report released in December of 2012, it stated he was hit by four bullets, killed only by one. No arrests were ever made in the case.
Wallace’s death came just two weeks before his second and final album Life after Death was released, which would go on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, as well as nods for “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems” for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In commemoration of the album’s 25th anniversary, Bad Boy Records, Atlantic Records, and Rhino Records will release a special vinyl edition of Life After Death on June 10.