Howard Marks revealed to Purple Revolver that he befriended young weed smokers in prison and amongst them - he ended up teaching Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls English lessons.

Howard Marks is a Welsh author and former teacher and drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the IRA and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug Enforcement Administration. At the height of his drug career, he was said to have controlled 10% of the world's hashish trade

He remembered: "I was in that place for a long time. There wasn't many friendly faces, but I met this chap called Chris who went on to become the rapper Notorious BIG.

"When he found out I was British, Chris asked me to teach him English, he was interested in the ebb and flow of Welsh. Can you imagine that?

"He had all these poems and was already good - but he wanted a few tips on the language, spelling and grammar.

"It was quite fun and kept me focused at the time - I never thought he'd go on to become a big star, although he had a great presence."

Source: purplerevolver.com