Being in the top tier of the best rapper of all time, Biggie Smalls net worth reached a quite fantastic number by the time of his death.
Even now, the wealth of the rapper who Billboards mentioned as the greatest rapper that ever lived, has multiplied 16 times compared to twenty-five years ago when he passed away.
Do you want to know how much Biggie Smalls net worth was by the time of his death? And how much his wealth is worth right now? Read on thoroughly to know the story behind his successful career and tragic death.
| Summary table | |
| Stage Name | Biggie Smalls, Biggie, the Notorious B.I.G., |
| Legal Name | Christopher George Latore Wallace |
| Date of Birth | May 21, 1972 |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6′ 2″ (1.88 m) |
| Net worth | $160 million |
| Salary / earning / income per year | $10 million |
| Profession | Rapper, songwriter, record executive |
| Nationality | American |
Getting Familiar with Biggie Smalls
Before we dig further into the facts behind Biggie Smalls net worth, let’s take a quick look at his profile.
- Legal Name & stage name:
- Born Christopher George Latore Wallace, the New Yorker rapper was better known by his stage name: Biggie Smalls.
- His other stage names were also including the Notorious B.I.G. or just Biggie.
- Date of Birth: Biggie Smalls was born on May 21 in 1972.
- Gender & Height: Born as a male, Biggie Smalls’ height reached 6′ 2″ (1.88 m).
- Nationality: Biggie Smalls is a U.S. citizen.
- What is Biggie Smalls Best Known for?
- Biggie Smalls net worth mostly derived from his works as a musician, which was focused on hip-hop, gangsta rap, and the East Coast hip-hop genre. His great work started with his first album, Ready to Day, which was released in 1994.
- Apart from his extraordinary rapping skills, he was known best for his overall public persona. People also probably remembered him from his public feud with Tupac Shakur. The feud ended after Tupac Shakur’s homicide, followed by Biggie Smalls’ assassination by a drive-by shooting six months later.
Story of Biggie Smalls
Biggie Smalls net worth was the result of his hard work since he was a child. Born from immigrant parents who were coming from Jamaica, Biggie Smalls was raised mostly by her pre-school teacher mother, Voletta Wallace. His father, a welder and a politician named Selwyn George Latore, left him and his family when Biggie Smalls was 2 years old.
Raised by a single mother who worked two jobs to provide for the family, Biggie Smalls managed to do well in school. However, he was involved in drug dealing scheme since the age of 12 gradually involved in more serious crime especially after he dropped out of high school.
Because he was overweight since he was 10 years old, he was nicknamed Big by his friends.
Education
Since he was raised Catholic, Biggie Smalls was enrolled at Queen of All Saints Middle School. During his time in middle school, he won several awards and achievements as an English student.
Following middle school, he went to Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School and remained to be a good and brilliant student. However, after he requested to move to George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School upon his request, he developed a quite bad attitude.
At the age of 17, Biggie Smalls decided to drop out of school. After that, he was trapped deeper into crime and got into jail several times.
Relationship and Family
There were several women that were linked to Biggie Smalls throughout his life. His earliest relationship was with Jan Jackson, his high school mate whom he dated from 1988 to 1993. The two of them had a quite challenging relationship that was filled with drama. However, they had a child together that was born in August 1993, named Tyanna Wallace. A few months after the birth of their daughter, the couple separated for good.
After his relationship with Jan Jackson ended, Biggie Smalls was linked to Lil’ Kim, a fellow rapper in the industry. Some sources said that the two of them had been seeing each other even when Bigge Smalls was still dating Jan Jackson. However, his relationship with Lil’ Kim was also ended because he had a new relationship with another female artist, Faith Evans.
Just a week after they got to know each other, Biggie Smalls and Faith Evans tied the knot in 1994. Together they had a son named after Biggie Smalls, Christoper Wallace Jr. in 1996. Although they remained married until the end of his life, Biggie Smalls was dating Charli Baltimore by the time of his death.
Biggie Smalls’s Career
Biggie Smalls net worth was generated mostly from his career as a hip-hop artist and his posthumous appearance in documentaries and television shows. Let’s take a look at his short but impactful body of works.
Biggie Smalls Music Career
Biggie Smalls rough life inspired a lot of his musical works. After encountering a couple of criminal charges, he adopted the name Biggie Smalls and recorded a demo tape under that name. From his demo, he was discovered as a new promising talent and was offered to sign contracts with recording labels.
He gained more exposure after he did remixes of other artists’ songs, including Mary J. Blige’s Real Love, Neneh Cherry’s Buddy X, and Super Cats’ Dolly My Baby. He eventually released his first album in September 1994 and immediately made it into Billboard 200 chart in No.13. The album also received four times platinum.
After the success of his first album, he continue to productively made music both by recording solo singles and collaborating with other prominent artists. Sadly, he was passed away before he launched his second album. Life After Death, the title of his second album, was released just 16 days after his death. It quickly hit first place on the Billboard 200 charts.
There are also a few compilations and collaboration albums released posthumously, including Born Again (1999), Duets: The Final Chapter (2005), and The King & I (2017). The success of these albums also contributed to Biggie Smalls net worth even after he passed away.
Biggie Smalls Movies
There are several films and documentaries that had been made to commemorate Biggie Smalls’ legacy. In 2009, Fox Searchlight Picture distributed a biopic about Biggie Smalls’ life titled Notorious, starring Jamal Woolard as Biggie Smalls.
The life and death of Biggie Smalls were also captured in several documentaries, such as Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life (2007), Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G (2017), and Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021). The legendary feud between Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur was also portrayed in several documentaries about them in such as Biggie & Tupac (2002), Tupac Resurrection (2004), Who Shot Biggie & Tupac? (2017), and All Eyez on Me (2017).
Awards & Nominations
The fantastic amount of Biggie Smalls net worth is also in line with his many awards and achievements. He even won and was nominated for some prestigious awards posthumously, including Billboard Music Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and even Grammy Awards, for his albums and overall contribution to the hip-hop genre.
Biggie Smalls Net Worth
Compared to another remarkable rapper, Biggie Smalls net worth was considered high even when he passed away. Right now, it is estimated that his wealth is equal to $160 million.
- Businesses
Besides his business in the music industry, Biggie Smalls also had started developing a clothing line before his death. However, after he passed away, the plus-sized fashion brand fell dormant and was neglected. In 2004, the clothing line was resurrected by his managers with the help of Jay-Z. The profit didn’t really contribute to Biggie Smalls net worth, instead it went to his posthumous charity foundation and Jay-Z’s scholarship program.
- Real estate
One of his property investments that contributes to Biggie Smalls net worth is his Brooklyn apartment that was up for sale for around $3 million.
- Vehicles
One of the cars he owned that was contributed to Biggie Smalls net worth is GMC Suburbans, in which he was shot at one March night in 1997.
- How much Biggie Smalls make per year?
With the total amount of Biggie Smalls net worth, it is estimated that he received $10 million annual income.
- How does Biggie Smalls make money?
In short, Biggie Smalls net worth was accumulated from his musical careers and posthumous works done under his name.
Is Biggie Smalls Still Around?
Biggie Smalls is no longer creates music, due to the fact that he was already passed away in 1997.
The latest work that highlighted Biggie Smalls’ life and body of works is a documentary released by Netflix, titled Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell. This documentary success is probably also added to the current amount of Biggie Smalls net worth.
