Quick Links
American rapper and songwriter Notorious BIG had an estimated net worth of $20 million. Born Christopher George Latore Wallace on May 21, 1972, he was also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Other names include “The King of New York”, “The Black Frank White”, “Big Poppa”, “Frankie Baby”, and “B.I.”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he was the only son to parents of Jamaican descent. He was a high school dropout who began dealing crack in the neighborhood, a venture he claimed as his only source of income. During his trip to North Carolina for a routine drug exchange, he ended up in jail and served for nine months behind bars.
His music career began as a rapper during his teenage years. He had recorded hip hop tracks on a tape which was passed around and played at local radio stations in New York. He released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994 which he collaborated with Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy and Mase. With this, he became a central figure in the East Coast Hip Hop scene. He also helped increase the city’s visibility in the genre during that time when West Coast Hip Hop was dominant in the mainstream.
Through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Wallace has led his childhood friends to achieve success in the charts. He also became more involved in the growing East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud while recording his second album. He met Tupac Shakur, an MC from the West Coast, which soon he became friends with despite the dispute later on in their careers.
On March 9, 1997, Christopher Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Sixteen days after, his Life After Death double-disc set was released and became No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. In 2000, it was certified Diamond and is one of the few hip hop albums to receive such certification. Two more albums were released since his death and he had certified sales of 17 million units in the US.
Earnings & Financial Data
|
Date |
Category |
Description |
Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2017 |
Record Sales |
Debut record sales of the album The King and I with Faith Hill (approximately 9 thousand copies sold) |
$11,700 |
|
2015 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Old Thing Back (approximately 550 thousand copies sold) |
$715,000 |
|
2015 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Best Night of My Life with American singer and actor Jamie Foxx (approximately 409 thousand copies sold) |
$531,700 |
|
2013 |
Sale of Asset |
Selling price of Notorious BIG's apartment in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn |
$725,000 |
|
2013 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album 5.0 with American rapper Nelly (approximately 314 thousand copies sold) |
$408,200 |
|
2012 |
Sale of Asset |
Selling price of Notorious BIG's mansion in Water Mill, New York |
$10,975,000 |
|
2012 |
Record Sales |
Debut record sales of the album Self Made Vol. 2 with the Maybach Music Group (approximately 98 thousand copies sold) |
$127,400 |
|
2011 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the soundtrack Tupac: Resurrection (approximately 1,766,335 copies sold) |
$2,300,000 |
|
2011 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Last Train to Paris with American rapper and record producer Diddy and American R&B and hip hop duo Dirty Money (approximately 270 thousand copies sold) |
$351,000 |
|
2009 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Fishcale with American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah (approximately 332 thousand copies sold) |
$431,600 |
|
2009 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the soundtrack Notorious: Music from and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture (approximately 124,490 copies sold) |
$161,840 |
|
2007 |
Record Sales |
First week record sales of the album Ridin' High with American hip hop duo 8Ball & MJG (approximately 50 thousand copies sold) |
$65,000 |
|
2007 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the compilation album Greatest Hits (approximately 851 thousand copies sold) |
$1,110,000 |
|
2005 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Duets: The Final Chapter (approximately 1.1 million copies sold) |
$1,430,000 |
|
2003 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the soundtrack Bad Boys II (approximately 1 million copies sold) |
$1,300,000 |
|
2002 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse with American rapper Jay-Z (approximately 3.3 million copies sold) |
$4,290,000 |
|
2002 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album We Invented the Remix with various artists (approximately 1 million copies sold) |
$1,300,000 |
|
2001 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Invincible with American singer Michael Jackson (approximately 3,920,500 copies sold) |
$5,100,000 |
|
2000 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album No Way Out with American hip hop recording artist, songwriter and record producer Puff Daddy (approximately 7 million copies sold) |
$9,100,000 |
|
2000 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Born Again (approximately 2.1 million copies sold) |
$2,730,000 |
|
1999 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut studio album Ready to Die (approximately 4 million copies sold) |
$5,200,000 |
|
1999 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Forever with American hip hop recording artist Puff Daddy (approximately 1.1 million copies sold) |
$1,430,000 |
|
1998 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Victory with American hip hop recording artist Puff Daddy (approximately 700 thousand copies sold) |
$910,000 |
|
1997 |
Sale of Asset |
Selling price of the BMW SUV Wallace was in when he was shot and killed in March 1997 |
$1,500,000 |
|
1997 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Mo Money Mo Problems (approximately 1,565,000 copies sold) |
$2,030,000 |
|
1997 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album No Way Out with American hip hop recording artist, songwriter and record producer Puff Daddy (approximately 7.1 million copies sold) |
$9,230,000 |
|
1997 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.'s final studio album Life After Death (approximately 10 million copies sold) |
$13,000,000 |
|
1997 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Hypnotize (approximately 1.4 million copies sold) |
$1,820,000 |
|
1997 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album The Mix Tape, Vol. II with various artists (approximately 500 thousand copies sold) |
$650,000 |
|
1996 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Hard Core with the American rapper Lil' Kim (approximately 5 million copies sold) |
$6,500,000 |
|
1996 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Only You with the American R&B group 112 (approximately 1 million copies sold) |
$1,300,000 |
|
1996 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Gettin' Money with American hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. (approximately 1 million copies sold) |
$1,300,000 |
|
1996 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Total with American female R&B trio Total (approximately 500 thousand copies sold) |
$650,000 |
|
1995 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album R. Kelly with R&B singer R. Kelly ( approximately 5,150,000 copies sold) |
$6,700,000 |
|
1995 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Runnin' from tha Police with Tupac Shakur (approximately 35 thousand copies sold) |
$45,500 |
|
1995 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album Conspiracy with American hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. (approximately 500 thousand copies sold) |
$650,000 |
|
1995 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (usually shortened to HIStory) with American singer Michael Jackson (approximately 20 million copies sold) |
$26,000,000 |
|
1994 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Big Poppa (approximately 800 thousand copies sold) |
$1,040,000 |
|
1994 |
Record Sales |
Record sales of the single Flava in Ya Ear with American rapper Craig Mack (approximately 1 million copies sold) |
$1,300,000 |