NEW NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
SONG “G.O.A.T.” RELEASED
AS PART OF HIS
50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
“G.O.A.T.” – the first new song from The Notorious B.I.G. in 17 years – has been released, one day before what would have been the iconic rapper’s 50th birthday. Listen to it HERE.
Global superstar Ty Dolla $ign supplies a verse on the Afrobeats-influenced track while rising Nigerian R&B star Bella Alubo delivers the hooks. Biggie, a.k.a. Christopher Wallace, appears on the song in samples from “I Love The Dough”, a fan favorite from his diamond-certified 1997 album, Life After Death. The song is available now from digital and streaming services. Ty Dolla $ign says, “Being on a song with Biggie has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. The song title is fitting of him…the GOAT. Happy Birthday, Big. We miss you!”
“It’s wonderful to witness my son’s music reimagined for his fans and today’s generation of young men and women to embrace his art,” says Voletta Wallace. “I appreciate the hard work of all involved in bringing together the perfect blend of voices and music to this song, G.O.A.T.”
Elliot Osagie, Founder and Chairman of Benin City Entertainment, who has worked closely with Voletta Wallace and the Biggie Estate for just under a decade and who co-created the new song, notes, “One of the things I’ve learned building Biggie’s audience all these years is his global impact. We wanted to create a song that paid homage to that impact, hence the Afrobeats theme.”
New music isn’t the only way people are celebrating the life and legacy of The Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Christopher Wallace. On his birthday (May 21), in his hometown of New York City, the Empire State Building will change the historic landmark’s lights to red and white. There will also be a crown spinning in its mast that will illuminate Manhattan and pay homage to Biggie’s debut multi-platinum album, Ready to Die.
The Empire State Building, in partnership with Bad Boy / Atlantic / Rhino Records and The Christopher Wallace Estate, will host a ceremony that will include Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, his children (CJ and Tyanna Wallace), his dear friend James Lloyd (Lil’ Cease), and Kimberly Denise Jones (Lil Kim). Other close friends, collaborators, and hip-hop luminaries, that were instrumental in Biggie’s meteoric success will also be in attendance.
The New York celebration will continue on June 10 when Lincoln Center, in partnership with Bad Boy / Atlantic / Rhino Records and The Christopher Wallace Estate, hosts an orchestral tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. The black-tie event will feature music arranged and conducted by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, with appearances by The Originals and several special guests. The event will be free to the public, and fans can also experience the show through an exclusive live stream on Twitch.
On June 10, Bad Boy / Atlantic / Rhino Records will release a vinyl version of Life After Death, Biggie’s diamond-certified, GRAMMY®-nominated second album. The Life After Death 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe boxed set consists of 8-LPs and a booklet that features rare photos from the album cover shoot, liner notes by Sheldon Pearce, and exclusive reflections from members of the team who worked on the original album. In addition to the 2022 remaster of Life After Death, the set also includes the Hypnotize 12”, Mo Money Mo Problems 12”, Sky’s The Limit 12”, and Nasty Boy 12”.
Life After Death debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1997. It was the first album to feature two back-to-back posthumous #1 singles: “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems”. The album received a GRAMMY® nomination in the category of Best Rap Album. “Hypnotize” earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance, and “Mo Money Mo Problems” was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Among dozens of lists and retrospectives, Rolling Stone touted Life After Death among its coveted “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The RIAA has awarded the album a Diamond Certification for more than 5 million copies sold of the double-LP.
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