Notorious B.I.G. Receives Marvel Makeover, Legacy Remains Tainted By Suge Knight
Twenty Years after the release of his groundbreaking debut album Ready To Die, the legacy of the Notorious B.I.G, (born Christopher Wallace), not only continues to prove why the rapper belongs in the company of music’s most influential artists, but it also remains marred by mystery and various conspiracy theories.
It was recently announced that Marvel is giving some classic Hip Hop albums a cartoon makeover, including albums by Notorious B.I.G., Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul.
According to BuzzFeed, Marvel Comics will reinterpret more than 50 of its titles this October in a new line called Hip-Hop Variants, which will feature covers that pay tribute to several respected albums and their artwork.
In addition to the artists mentioned above, the comic giant re-envisioned iconic artwork of innovators such as Wu-Tang Clan, A$AP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, A Tribe Called Quest, and Eric B. & Rakim.
“For years, Marvel Comics and hip-hop culture have been engaged in an ongoing dialogue,” Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso said in a press release. “Beginning this October, we will shine a spotlight on the seamless relationship between those two unique forces.”
Check out some of the images at Buzzfeed and Uproxx.
Wallace released Ready to Die on September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The album was the label’s first release, with co-production by Bad Boy founder Sean “Puffy” Combs. The cover art depicts an adorable, afro-sporting, chubby infant resembling B.I.G. In the Marvel interpretation, Ant-Man appears in place of the famous baby.
The highly-acclaimed album has been listed among the best album covers in hip hop. In 2006, Ready to Die was also included on Time magazine’s 100 Greatest Albums of All Time list. In a related Inquisitr article, P. Diddy described B.I.G. as the “greatest rapper” and Mary J. Blige described him as being humble.
B.I.G.’s charisma, aggressive flow, and dark, semi-autobiographical lyrics arrested your psyche and carried you through sharp, vivid storytelling — perhaps that was the greatest testament to his hypnotic skill. He was the face of East Coast gangsta rap, with certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.
The Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. In the 18 years since his death, music’s most famous homicide remains unsolved. In 2002, Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, R&B singer Faith Evans, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the LAPD and rogue police officers alleging his murder was an orchestrated hit.
The lawsuit also claimed that one of the officers involved, Officer Rafael Pérez, admitted that he and former officer David Mack, “conspired to murder, and participated in the murder of Christopher Wallace.” Mack, whose served a 14-year stint for bank robbery, has denied involvement in B.I.G.’s slaying.
Another stunning confession came from the mother of one of Suge Knight’s children, who revealed that the former Death Row boss gave her money to pay one of his associates to kill B.I.G. Her confession was unveiled in a 2011 self-published book titled Murder Rap, written by retired detective Greg Kading, who led a task force seeking Biggie’s murderer. His book implicated Knight, who has repeatedly denied any involvement in B.I.G.’s death. Suge was never charged in connection with the murder. He happened to be in jail for probation violation at the time of Wallace’s death.
The case went to trial in 2005, but ended in a mistrial. In 2010, a federal judge dismissed the family’s lawsuit against the LAPD.
Suge is currently behind bars facing attempted murder charges, accused of running over two men with his truck after a dispute outside a burger joint in Compton back in January. The Los Angeles Times reports that an L.A. County judge recently denied Knight’s attorney’s request to allow his client to receive private medical treatment. The judge also denied his request to lower his bond from $10 million.
While the music he left behind will continue to resonate with hip hop aficionados, the murder of Notorious B.I.G. may never be solved, and two questions will continue to shroud his legacy: Did rogue cops conspire with Suge Knight to assassinate the rap star? Did the LAPD suppress evidence?
Two years after his death, Lt. Al Michelena of the LAPD said investigators believed the murder of Wallace was “not just a one-man operation.”
Sound off below. Do you believe Suge Knight orchestrated the hit of Notorious B.I.G and the LAPD covered it up?
[Images via Marvel, Buzzfeed, Facebook]
