Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 1 September 2017
After his death, Notorious B.I.G.’s mom becomes his No.1 fan

By MESFIN FEKADU her son died in 1997, she
AP Music Writer connected with his music
NEW YORK (AP) — During and fell in love with Christo-
the late 1990s when the pher Wallace, the artist.
Notorious B.I.G. emerged “I remembered my son
as rap’s top performer, de- said, ‘Don’t listen to my
tailing street life in Brook- music.’ And I never listened
lyn on songs and albums to his music. I heard it on
that dominated the pop the radio and it sounded
charts, his mother didn’t good, because it was
think much of his music, clean. But I said, ‘You know
which she used to call what, I have to. I have to
“noise.”Now, she can’t live listen to that music.’ And
without that noise. that’s what I did,” Wallace
Voletta Wallace says after said in a recent interview

In this Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, photo, Voletta Wallace, left, and Faith Evans, right, pose for a por-
trait in New York.
Associated Press
with The Associated Press. age 24. His 1994 debut al- he acted away from the
“I cried so much that day bum for Bad Boy Records, music. Wallace said she
just listening to the music. “Ready to Die,” sold more even learned more about
I remember I sat, I stood. I than 4 million albums and her son after completing
rested my head on the ste- included the hits “Big Pop- the film: “I found out things
reo and I just cried like a pa” and “Juicy.” His soph- about my son in this docu-
baby. And that was thera- omore album, “Life After mentary that I never knew.
py for me. And I said, ‘Oh Death,” was released two So, it was a healing process
my God — that was a tal- weeks after his death, and for me.”
ented young man to put sold more than 10 million The film also includes in-
those words together.’ He units. It launched multiple terviews with Sean “Did-
had a beautiful voice. I hits, including the No.1 dy” Combs, Lil Cease and
love his voice.” successes “Mo Money Mo members of rap group Ju-
Wallace details the love for Problems” and “Hypno- nior Mafia. Lil Kim, B.I.G.’s
the Notorious B.I.G. as both tize.” former mentee and lover,
his mother and No. 1 fan in “People really genuinely was not part of the film, but
the new, three-hour docu- loved B.I.G., you know. Out- Evans said they couldn’t fit
mentary, “Biggie: The Life side of the fact that he was in every one.
of Notorious B.I.G.” It de- just such an incredible artist “If someone’s not in it that
buts Monday at 8 p.m. EST and just a genius to be able someone thought should
on A&E. to do, you know, what he be, don’t think it’s because
In the film, directed by did, he was just a great per- we didn’t want them to be
Emmy nominee Mark Ford, son,” said R&B singer and a part of it,” she said.
rap acts such as Jay-Z and B.I.G.’s widow, Faith Evans, Earlier this year Evans re-
Nas discuss B.I.G.’s impact sitting next to Wallace. leased the album “The King
on hip-hop culture, and “(It) seems like the fans & I,” a duets project with
Wallace said watching love him like we do — and her and B.I.G.’s old verses.
those performers speak we know they didn’t know Bad Boy Records also cel-
passionately about her son him that way — but I think ebrated its 20th anniversary
helped her understand his this film really kind of gives with a tour last year, featur-
importance in music, and them a chance to some- ing Combs, Evans, Lil Kim,
made her a true fan of rap what know him in that Mase, 112 and more.
music. way,” added Evans, also Though Wallace has partic-
“(I) appreciate these other an executive producer of ipated in other films about
artists out there, too — be- the documentary. her son, she said “Biggie” is
cause believe me, they “Every time I watch it I tear “OUR first documentary.”
were just people making up.” “Everything takes time.
noises. But now they have “Biggie” offers a more hu- Nothing happens before
a story,” said Wallace, an man side to the man who the time. There’s a time for
executive producer of the is arguably rap’s most pow- everything and this is the
film. erful voice, shedding light time for us to do this docu-
B.I.G. was shot to death at on his personality and how mentary,” she said.q