It was all a dream Biggie and the world that made him

Justin Tinsley

Book - 2022

"The Notorious B.I.G. was one of the most charismatic and talented artists of the 1990s. Born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, Biggie lived an almost archetypal rap life: young trouble, drug dealing, guns, prison, a giant hit record, the wealth and international superstardom that came with it, then an early violent death. Biggie released his first record, Ready to Die, in 1994, when he was only 22. Less than three years later, he was killed just days before the planned release of his second record Life After Death. Journalist Justin Tinsley's It Was All a Dream is a fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend. It is based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie, in...cluding neighbors, friends, DJs, party promoters, and journalists. And it places Biggie's life in context, both within the history of rap but also the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming, creative, and influential 1990s music industry. This is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind." -- Amazon.com.

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York, NY : Abrams Press [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Justin Tinsley (author)
Item Description
Maps on lining papers.
Physical Description
336 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN
9781419750311
  • Introduction
  • 01. Goming to America
  • 02. Voletta, Christopher, and Brooklyn
  • 03. A Whole New World
  • 04. Real Crack, Real Money
  • 05. Life in the Game
  • 06. The Tape and the Column
  • 07. Harlem, the Mecca, and a Guy Named Puffy
  • 08. The Decision: Streets or Rap?
  • 09. Two Bubbling Superpowers
  • 10. Fun Times and Big Problems
  • 11. Matters of the Heart
  • 12. Word on Road
  • 13. Friend of Mine
  • 14. The Chain Reaction
  • 15. How Ya Livin', Biggie Smalls?
  • 16. Growing Pains
  • 17. All Eyez on Mayhem
  • 18. Death, Near Death, and Rebirth
  • 19. "I Want My Spot Back"
  • 20. The Last Week
  • 21. Long Kiss Goodnight
  • 22. The Life After His Death
  • 23. C.J's a Man Now
  • Acknowledgments
Review by Library Journal Review

Journalist Tinsley writes a meticulously researched study of the life of rapper Christopher Wallace (known as the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie) and his influence on the '90s music industry. Growing up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Biggie was torn between his scholastic abilities and his desire to make fast money, Tinsley writes; he ended up selling drugs and was jailed for nine months as a 20-year-old. But music was in his heart, and his discovery by producer Sean "Puffy" Combs led to the launch of the album Ready To Die in 1994 and Biggie's eventual anointment as the greatest rapper of all time. Tinsley explores the complicated relationships forged by the sometimes-demanding Biggie--one friend took a gun rap for him; his wife, Faith Evans, was humiliated by his very public cheating; and his falling out with Tupac Shakur led to speculation that Biggie was responsible for Shakur's murder. Tinsley ends by describing how Biggie became embroiled in the infamous East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud and was gunned down at only 24 years old while visiting Los Angeles, six months after Shakur's death. VERDICT Hip-hop and Biggie fans will appreciate the book's context of his rise to fame and the reminiscences of those closest to him. [See interview, p. 73, and Editors' Picks, p. 24.]--Lisa Henry

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A chronicle of the life and work of the legendary rapper. For hip-hop fans of a certain age, Christopher Wallace (1972-1997), aka the Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie, was not just a rapper; he was a folk hero. Tinsley, a senior writer for Andscape, focuses more on storytelling than trying to unearth new facts or theories about Biggie's still-unsolved murder. (The author mostly subscribes to the findings of Greg Kading, a detective with the LAPD special investigation unit, who believes that the shooter was an associate of Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight, hired to avenge the death of Tupac Shakur the previous year.) Tinsley's sleek, effective biography introduces major figures in Wallace's life, complete with interesting backstories, before we meet the influential rapper, giving readers a solid grounding in the pertinent context. "Biggie and Tupac's friendship was as genuine as any in rap," writes the author. "Born less than a year apart, they had completely different personalities. 'Pac was the more vocal, not just in rap, but in everything he did, and Big respected the fact that 'Pac came from a lineage that tied him directly to the streets and the struggle painted in his music. He'd speak about injustices toward Black women in the same vein he'd talk about shootouts in public with rivals and the same way he'd hold America accountable for systemic injustices toward his people." Tinsley mostly blames their falling out on Tupac, but he does hold Biggie accountable for his missteps in other relationships--especially regarding his wife, Faith Evans, and his extramarital affairs with Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore. He also goes much deeper into how Biggie was a loyal friend to his pals from his Brooklyn neighborhood than he does in explaining why he was a great musical artist. A touching tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. balancing larger-than-life stories with poignant personal moments. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.