20 musical acts influenced by the Notorious B.I.G.

On March 9, 1997, hip-hop lost a towering legend at the peak of his power. Christopher Wallace a/k/a the Notorious B.I.G. a/k/a Biggie Smalls was a one-of-a-kind presence in music, and when he died, he left behind a legacy that surges to this day. Join us as we look back at those who he influenced while he was alive and those who still look to his music as inspiration two decades after he passed.

Biggie's influence on classmate Shawn Carter while at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. led to years of early collaboration between the two which in turn led to B.I.G.'s appearance on Jay's first album, Reasonable Doubt in 1996. To show his admiration for B.I.G., Jay would often quote his lyrics in his own songs.

Believe it or not, Tupac was absolutely influenced by Biggie. Although they'll forever be defined as the main antagonists in the mythic East Coast / West Coast Hip-Hop Wars, once upon a time the two were not only friends, but also briefly recorded together in the early days of their careers. During the mid-to late '90s, Biggie and Tupac were THE best of the best, and while the friendship turned deadly sour, the rivalry led to the two putting out their best work in an effort to best one another. Tupac was the first to be killed in the rivalry, but with Biggie dying just a year later, hip-hop fans ended up being the true losers in this needless beef.

Biggie Smalls' influence was possibly greater on no one more than Sean "Puffy/Puff Daddy" Combs. Before B.I.G., Combs was a mid-level A/R guy whose claim to fame was kicking off the careers of Mary J. Blige and Jodeci, but when he found B.I.G. for his new label, Bad Boy Records, he struck gold with the rotund rapper, forming an alliance that would lead to platinum albums and a stable of artist all who were touched in one way or another by Biggie.

While Biggie and Combs were building a dynasty at Bad Boy, Combs would continue to find new talent to work with Biggie, and among the hottest at the time was an up and coming artist from Harlem who would soon strike gold (and platinum) of his own, all starting when he appeared with B.I.G on 112's "Only You" leading to his explosion on "Mo Money, Mo Problems", from B.I.G's final album Life After Death. After Biggie's death, many looked to Ma$e to carry the torch for Bad Boy, which he did until leaving the industry (and later returning a couple times) after finding religion.

As a singer, Faith Evans' roots were firmly placed in the church, however, after catching Puffy Combs' ear during her stint as a backup singer for Al B. Sure!, she would be the first female artist signed to Bad Boy, where she soon after met and fell in love with Biggie during a photo shoot. The two married in 1994, producing one son. Aware of Biggie's wandering eye, the couple remained together until his death. Biggie's influence continued in her as she, along with Combs and boy band 112 collaborated on "I'll Be Missing You", a Grammy-winning tribute to B.I.G. in 1997. Today, Faith still tours and records, and is reportedly working on a posthumous duets album with Biggie himself set to release sometime in 2017.

While Biggie had his hands in the creation or influence of many groups, only one, Junior M.A.F.I.A (Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes), could he call his own. Formed in 1995, the band only lived as long as Biggie, but featured two hit singles in "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money,"and spawned the careers of Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, performers who found their own level of longevity long after their mentor was gone.

The first and most successful spin off from Junior M.A.F.I.A. was sexpot of hip hop Lil' Kim. Not only were her rhymes unbeatable in the studio, but she received special attention from B.I.G., who engaged in a torrid affair nearly from the day they met until his murder. Through his mentorship, she created the platinum selling album Hard Core less than a year after M.A.F.I.A.'s smash debut. While the death of Biggie took a toll on Kim, she was determined to escape his shadow, and she did so with a string of hits leaving her today with a legacy almost as big as Biggie's in her own right.

The other all-star from the Junior M.A.F.I.A. camp was Lil' Cease, a rapper diminutive in size, but not in voice. Cease was Biggie's cousin, and some would argue his equal on stage as he more than held his own with his superstar kin. Cease was regularly utilized as a go-to guest star on a number of Bad Boy albums, leading to his own release in 1999. After Biggie's death, Cease would later reform a smaller version of Junior M.A.F.I.A. (without Lil' Kim), releasing an album in 2009 and performing on tour to this day.

As with many bands, the members of 112 started together in high school, winning talent contests in and around the Atlanta area. Once discovered by Puffy Combs, 112 became the R&B launch pad for a number of fellow Big Boy artists, but would also themselves be featured on a few B.I.G. projects. His influence in the band made them hip-hop relevant, and ensured that their own debut album would see double platinum status. Along with Faith Evans, 112 was the rhythmic core of the B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You," and continue to perform together to this day, almost three decades after forming.

As Puffy Combs' signature girl group, Total naturally found their 1994 debut "Can't You See" featuring Biggie Smalls becoming an instant hit, and they would continue to work with Biggie until his death, culminating in the chorus for his mega hit "Hypnotize." Although the band was very popular, they only recorded two albums together, 1996's Total and 1998's Kima, Keisha and Pam. Despite being dropped from Bad Boy in 2000, and not recording together for 14 years, the band reformed in 2014 on a performance-only basis, reminding fans of their popularity and Biggie's long-lasting influence.

Widely known and fairly popular in the five boroughs of New York when Puffy signed them to Bad Boy in 1995, The LOX were soon being mentored by B.I.G. and would appear in a few of his projects. Despite this mentorship, the members of the band, including standout Jadakiss were unhappy with their place on the Big Boy spectrum, so they took what they learned and in a highly publicized move, broke with Bad Boy in 1999 to join the burgeoning Ruff Ryders label. After a 15-year hiatus as a band, The LOX would reunite and deliver a new album in 2016.

Of all the members of The LOX, Jadakiss had the closest relationship with B.I.G. and it showed. Jada often emulated Biggie's style in many of his songs, and of the three members, his star ended up shining the brightest. Once The LOX left Bad Boy for Ruff Ryders, it wasn't long before Jada chose the solo path, releasing his debut album in 2001, and later moving again to Jay Z's Roc-a-Fella records in 2007 to make an even bigger name for himself. 

There are few MCs out there with a story as unique and unlikely as that of Shyne's. While he never worked directly with Biggie Smalls, people, especially Puffy Combs, thought he was the second coming of B.I.G. in the most literal way possible. His 2000 single "Bad Boyz" shocked hip-hop heads who thought the cut was an unreleased Biggie song, and they were shocked even further when they saw the husky doppelganger voice came from an MC roughly half Biggie's size. Shyne's career never took off as he would serve jail time for a 1999 shooting that later saw him deported to his home country of Belize. After a conversion to Judaism, Shyne later became known as Moshe Levi Ben-David. 

A formidable street rapper, Black Rob represented the second wave of Bad Boy, joining the label in 1996, where he would work with Biggie while also making appearances on albums from 112, Total, Faith Evans and others, but not getting his own solo release until 2000's Life Story, featuring the hit single "Whoa!" Although Rob would languish on Bad Boy for 10 years after that, he would later take what he learned from Biggie and head to independent label Duck Down Records, eventually starting his own label, Box In One, where he records to this day.

Of all the hip-hop artists who Biggie Smalls influenced positively, there is one, Craig Mack, for who that influence was less than positive. In 1993, Craig Mack was one of Bad Boy's earliest signees, predating Biggie himself. His debut single, "Flava in Ya Ear" was a hit and by all accounts, Mack looked to lead the charge for Bad Boy, but once Biggie was signed to the label, all eyes were on him. So much so that Puffy forced B.I.G. onto the remix for "Flava", serving as his own springboard into the limelight. Things for Mack withered on the vine from there, until he was unceremoniously dropped from Bad Boy prior to Biggie's death in 1997.

While Jay Z had a greater affect on Ja Rule's career, the Queens-native showed nothing but love and respect for Biggie, often citing him as a positive influence on his rough yet succinct rhyming style. As a contemporary of Biggie's, most of his work did stay on the Jay Z side of things, but rumors persisted over the years that Biggie may have helped with some of his rhymes over the years, mostly in inspiration. Ja Rule's career was spotty as tastes evolved, but he continues to perform to this day with no shortage of nostalgic crowds in attendance.

Of the New York rappers, 50 Cent represented the aftermath and fallout of the coastal rap wars. Pledging allegiance to no one but himself, 50 broke onto the scene with a sledgehammer in the form of the controversial "How to Rob" which floated around on mixtapes in 1999 until formally released in 2000. Instead of waging coastal war, 50 described robbing a little bit of everyone, which of course won him few friends, but in the midst of his lyrical rampage, he made sure to pay homage to Biggie (and Tupac), citing B.I.G. as a major influence in his career coming up.

As an artist at the top of his class, it's hard not to see the pure influence of Biggie Smalls in the delivery and vocal dexterity of Lil' Wayne. While the two come from different backgrounds, and it could be argued that Wayne benefited from even greater influences and mentors, so much of Wayne's style and lyrics hearken back to the days of Biggie, and had he come onto the scene even 10 years prior, it would be hard not to see Wayne on the Bad Boy roster.

Some have labeled southern rap impresario Rick Ross as the "Biggie of the South." While they never worked together, Ross emulates much of B.I.G.'s swagger, matched with a southern drawl that made him a go-to big name on in the rap game. Ross' presence, stature and skill is easily reminiscent of Biggie and never lets fans forget just who it was who came before him. 

Nick Grant is proof that the Notorious B.I.G.'s influence stretches far beyond the grave. The up and coming rapper from South Carolina describes himself as a disciple of Biggie and shows it as he resurrects old school sensibilities for modern hip-hop audiences. Grant represents a future class of hip-hop who never fails to pay homage to those who came before him, particularly Biggie, when he recorded "Nobody" a 2016 tribute which interpolates Biggie's classic "Your Nobody" into something fresh, new and respectful to a legacy that continues to live to this day.