We'll Always Love Big Poppa

BET.com remembers key moments in the Notorious B.I.G's career 13 years after his death.

Unsigned Hype - Still a diamond in the rough at the time, Biggie got his first taste of national prominence when he appeared in The Source Magazine's legendary Unsigned Hype column back in 1992.

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Unsigned Hype - Still a diamond in the rough at the time, Biggie got his first taste of national prominence when he appeared in The Source Magazine's legendary Unsigned Hype column back in 1992.

Bad Boy - Shortly after Big appeared in The Source's Unsigned Hype, Sean "Puffy" Combs heard his demo tape. An A&R at Uptown Records at the time, Puff signed the Brooklyn lyricist to a recording contract.Puff was eventually fired from his job and started his own imprint, Bad Boy Records. He signed Biggie in mid-1992.

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Bad Boy - Shortly after Big appeared in The Source's Unsigned Hype, Sean "Puffy" Combs heard his demo tape. An A&R at Uptown Records at the time, Puff signed the Brooklyn lyricist to a recording contract.Puff was eventually fired from his job and started his own imprint, Bad Boy Records. He signed Biggie in mid-1992.

Biggie Smalls - Big changed his official name from Biggie Smalls to The Notorious B.I.G. because a rapper in Texas already had the moniker. Despite the name change, Biggie Smalls continued to be one of his nicknames.

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Biggie Smalls - Big changed his official name from Biggie Smalls to The Notorious B.I.G. because a rapper in Texas already had the moniker. Despite the name change, Biggie Smalls continued to be one of his nicknames.

Deafening Buzz - Now rolling with Bad Boy, Big helped fuel his buzz by appearing on Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" Remix, Supercat's "Dolly My Baby" and "Party and Bullsh*t" off the "Who's the Man" soundtrack, among other records.

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Deafening Buzz - Now rolling with Bad Boy, Big helped fuel his buzz by appearing on Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" Remix, Supercat's "Dolly My Baby" and "Party and Bullsh*t" off the "Who's the Man" soundtrack, among other records.

Sky's The Limit - Big's debut, "Ready to Die" dropped on September 13, 1994. An instant classic, the LP featured singles like "Warning," "Juicy," "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance." The CD also featured fan-favorite album cuts like "Everyday Struggle," "The What" and "Unbelievable." It is one of the most successful debut albums in hip-hop history to date, selling over 4 million copies.

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Sky's The Limit - Big's debut, "Ready to Die" dropped on September 13, 1994. An instant classic, the LP featured singles like "Warning," "Juicy," "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance." The CD also featured fan-favorite album cuts like "Everyday Struggle," "The What" and "Unbelievable." It is one of the most successful debut albums in hip-hop history to date, selling over 4 million copies.

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The King of New York - With other NY rappers dropping a string of impactful albums, including releases from Nas and Jeru The Damaja, Big's "Ready to Die" helped bring the East Coast back after several years of West Coast dominance.

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The King of New York - With other NY rappers dropping a string of impactful albums, including releases from Nas and Jeru The Damaja, Big's "Ready to Die" helped bring the East Coast back after several years of West Coast dominance.

Crew Love - With a multiplatinum plaque under his belt, Big put his homies on with Junior M.A.F.I.A's "Conspiracy." Lil' Kim emerged as the group's standout and eventually became a star in her own right.

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Crew Love - With a multiplatinum plaque under his belt, Big put his homies on with Junior M.A.F.I.A's "Conspiracy." Lil' Kim emerged as the group's standout and eventually became a star in her own right.

Big Poppa - The Notorious One sure loved the ladies. Aside from marrying Faith Evans, he's documented as having affairs with Lil' Kim and Charlie Baltimore.

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Big Poppa - The Notorious One sure loved the ladies. Aside from marrying Faith Evans, he's documented as having affairs with Lil' Kim and Charlie Baltimore.

East Coast Vs. West Coast - Biggie soon found himself in the middle of the East Coast/West Coast feud after a falling out with former friend Tupac Shakur. Pac accused Biggie, Puffy and Andre Harrell of knowing about a robbery in which he was shot at New York's Quad studios.

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East Coast Vs. West Coast - Biggie soon found himself in the middle of the East Coast/West Coast feud after a falling out with former friend Tupac Shakur. Pac accused Biggie, Puffy and Andre Harrell of knowing about a robbery in which he was shot at New York's Quad studios.

Gone Too Soon - Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace was gunned down in Los Angeles after attending an after-party hosted by Vibe Magazine. The murder remains unsolved to this day.

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Gone Too Soon - Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace was gunned down in Los Angeles after attending an after-party hosted by Vibe Magazine. The murder remains unsolved to this day.

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Life After Death - Only 16 days after his untimely death, Biggie's "Life After Death" hit stores. The CD has sold over 10 million copies to date.

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Life After Death - Only 16 days after his untimely death, Biggie's "Life After Death" hit stores. The CD has sold over 10 million copies to date.

Notorious - Biggie was immortalized on the big screen on January 16, 2009. Brooklyn rapper Gravy (born Jamal Woolard) played Biggie, Derek Luke played Puff while Naturi Naughton, formerly of 3LW, portrayed Lil' Kim.

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Notorious - Biggie was immortalized on the big screen on January 16, 2009. Brooklyn rapper Gravy (born Jamal Woolard) played Biggie, Derek Luke played Puff while Naturi Naughton, formerly of 3LW, portrayed Lil' Kim.