P Diddy Hails Anniversary Of B.I.G.’s Death As “Biggie Day”

The Notorious B.I.G. was born on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, and on March 9, 1997, the rapper was gunned down in his vehicle in Los Angeles, just over 22 years ago. On March 25, 1997, just over two weeks after his unsolved murder, B.I.G.'s sophomore album, Life After Death, was released to acclaim that never died. This past weekend, P Diddy claimed March 9 as "Biggie Day," a fitting time to recall the rapper's loss and legacy.

"There will NEVER be another," Diddy posted to Twitter on March 9. "The GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME. Today we celebrate and honor you king. Love and miss you!!!!!!!!! Happy Biggie Day!"

While there will never be another B.I.G., on his birthday, May 21, 2016, there was another "Biggie Day" in Brooklyn. How can there be two? Well he was just that "B.I.G."

The music he made by the end of his life at 24 years of age has grown in stature and the places Biggie frequented as a youth are now mandatory visits for Brooklyn-rap tourists.

P Diddy emerged to national attention as a rapper himself in the aftermath of Biggie's passing. Already respected as a record executive and producer, summer of 1997 was the release of his debut album No Way Out as Puff Daddy & The Family. The 40th GRAMMY Awards in 1998 were a coming of age for both Diddy and rap itself. Will Smith won Best Rap Solo Performance for "Men In Black" and dedicated his win to the memories of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Diddy's No Way Out won Best Rap Album that year and its single "I'll Be Missing You," with Faith Evans also featuring 112, won Best Rap Performance by A Duo Or Group.

In our 2017 interview with 112, the group wanted readers to know that Bad Boy Records had been a supportive family in fact, not in name only. They recalled Biggie helping them out personally. "He used to give us money to make sure we had food to eat," said Quinnes "Q" Parker. Many rap listeners feel a different gratitude, no less deep, for the tracks B.I.G. left behind as his legacy for all of us.

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P Diddy Hails Anniversary Of B.I.G.’s Death As “Biggie Day”

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