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as he was later known, dropped out of school at age 17 to become a drug dealer. He always rapped on the side as a hobby and was soon discovered by DJ Mister Cee (Big Daddy Kane's former DJ), with whom he released his demo tape. The demo tape made by Biggie and Mister Cee found its way into the hands of then Uptown Records employee Sean "Puffy" Combs, who fell in love with the rapper and arranged for a single, as well as a number of guest appearances on the label. In1994 he released "Juicy", his second (yet first mainstream) single. He also released Ready to Die, his debut album. Ready to Die was regarded as one of hip-hop's all-time classic albums, and was credited with revitalizing East Coast hip hop. It peaked at #3 on the R&B album chart and #15 on the pop chart. As Biggie's profile rose, he and Combs became entangled in an ongoing East Coast-West Coast rivalry with Death Row founder Marion "Suge" Knight and his own star rapper, Tupac Shakur. Both Shakur and Biggie would end up shot to death and though neither case was solved, each camp blamed the other for their rapper's demise. Released in 1997, less than a month after Biggie's death, his album Life After Death debuted at #1 on both the pop and R&B charts, selling 690,000 copies its first week and eventually going 10 times platinum. Two of the album's singles, "Hypnotize" and "Mo Money Mo Problems," topped the singles chart, an emphatic declaration of the late rapper's talent.



In 2000, Life After Death was certified Diamond and Biggie was remembered by music critics for his "loose, easy flow, dark, semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities." Since his death, a further three albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. Because of his success and influence on music, he has become a revered cultural icon whose influence on the hip hop genre can be felt to this day.