“It was all a dream,” were the Notorious B.I.G. lyrics that paced through Jared Aubel’s mind as he sat in front of a blank canvas in his Phoenix studio. Brushstroke after brushstroke of acrylic and oil paints, Aubel heard those five words from the rapper's 1994 hit, "Juicy," and painted a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “It was a trigger hearing that song, and then thinking of Martin Luther King’s speech, ‘I Have a Dream,'” he said. “It’s a powerful piece because they were both speaking about the same struggles and oppressions and, unfortunately, this is all still happening, it keeps rearing its ugly head.” ...

A “rap report card” written by rapper Kool Moe Dee back in the 90s is being recirculated on Twitter and it’s sparked quite a conversation. For the report card, the Manhattan-bred rapper used 10 categories to give emcee grades between A+ and C+. Kool Moe Dee’s report card assessed some of the hottest rappers of the 90s like JAY-Z, DMX, Snoop Dogg, and Keith Murray while artists like Lauryn Hill, Diddy, Biggie, and Tupac were amongst the highest trending artists on the scorecard. Surprisingly, only Lauryn Hill and Biggie secured an A+ in all categories, including vocabulary, articulation, creativity, originality, versatility, voice, records, stage presence, sticking to themes, and innovating rhymes. Unfortunately, Master P, Too Short, and Mase landed nothing but C+s. ...

Mtume is most notable for his 1983 song, “Juicy Fruit,” which was sampled by late great Notorious B.I.G. for his first official single, “Juicy” in 1994. Philadelphia-born percussionist James Mtume has reportedly passed away at the age of 75. Confirmed by Lisa Lucas on Twitter, his niece wrote, “So much loss. So much grief. Rest in power to Uncle Mtume. My late father’s partner-in-crime[.] The co-creator of the songs of my life (and about my birth!). He was [an] essential part of the life of the man who made me, therefore me too. Gone now. He will be dearly, eternally missed.”
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Biggie Smalls’ famed New York City apartment has landed a buyer over the asking price, The Post has learned. The home closed on December 14, 2020 for $2 million — three months after it first hit the market for $1.7 million. Located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, Biggie, born Christopher George Latore Wallace, lived in the home in 1994 with his wife, Faith Evans, and her daughter, Chyna Tahjere Griffin.
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The 1995 Source Awards is one of the most talked-about shows in history. Shedding some light on the happenings of the infamous night is Lil Cease, who stated Diddy, then Puff Daddy, told The Notorious B.I.G. to not fall into the trap of Suge Knight’s diss. During the show, Knight hit the stage and sent a jab to both Puff and BiG: ...

Netflix's star-studded action-comedy Red Notice has cemented its place in the streamer's history. Debuting on the platform on Thursday, Nov. 12 as the streamer's most expensive film, the Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-starring flick has not only topped streaming charts across the globe, but also set a new opening day record for Netflix. The movie trailer and film also contain music from the late great Notorious B.I.G. "Notorious" from the Notorious B.I.G.'s album "Born Again" is featured in the trailer and in the final scene of the film. ...