01 Oct The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn: 5 iconic spots to visit
There are several spots that relates the life of The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn. In April 2019, I became familiar with Clinton Hill, after booking a room in a building on Myrtle Avenue, close to the stop of Classon Av. Clinton Hill, the neighborhood where Biggie was born and spent the childhood, is a quite place to stay in Brooklyn. It borders with Bed-Stuy, another site linked to the the teenage years of The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn.
Christopher George Latore Wallace was born on 21st May 1972. He is considered one of the greatest artists of 90s and an icon for the hip-hop music on the East Coast. His legacy lives on thanks to his lyrics, songs and pop and hip-hop singers who mentioned him in their hits as Nelly, 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Since November 2019, the Brooklyn Nets have paid tribute him, introducing the new City Edition Jersey for Biggie.
I had the chance to explore the area and I realized the impact that Biggie had on his community. In the following paragrahs, you will find a description of five spots linked to The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn.
1) Christopher “Biggie” Wallace Basketball Courts
(Crispus Attucks Playground, 1030 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238, Stati Uniti)
According to some testimonials, as a child, Biggie used to hang out at Crispus Attucks Playground on Fulton Street. For this reason, in 2017 the community dedicated to him the basketball court, close to the playground, as Christopher “Biggie” Wallace Basketball Courts.
2) St. James Place
(226 St James Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11238, Stati Uniti)
The building on St James Place is the site, where the Notorius B.I.G. spent the childhood with his mum. On 10th June 2019, the local administration renamed the street as St James Pl – Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way. Biggie’s family, friends and fans gathered on that occasion, to pay tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn. On the opposite side of the street, the visul artist Vincent Ballentine (VBallentine99) realized a spray paint that represents a portrait of the rapper.
.
Check out all Ballentine’s paintings here!
3) Comandante Biggie Mural
(690–694 Fulton St. Brooklyn, New York 11217, USA)
On the face of Brooklyn Love Building, at the corner of Fulton St – South Portland Ave, close to Lafayette Avenue station, the graffiti artist Cern One, with Jorge Garcia and Lee Quiñones realized the mural “!Comandante Biggie!”. The lyrics “Spread Love It’s the Brooklyn Way” from “Juicy” are written on the other side, on Fulton St.
4) King on NY Biggie Mural
(1091 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216, Stati Uniti)
In 2015, the artists Scott “Zimer” Zimmerman and Naoufal “Rocko” Alaoui realized the huge mural to honor The Notorious B.I.G. in Brooklyn at the corner of Bedford Ave and Quincy St. It reads the lyrics from “Microphone Murderer”. In 2017, the building’s owners decided to demolish the mural for the purpose of adding windows but the whole community raised money to save the work.
5) George Westinghouse High School
(105 Tech Pl, Brooklyn)
The Notorious B.I.G. attended the George Westinghouse Jr. High School of Career and Technical Education in Downtown Brooklyn, New York. There were other personalities, from sports to music, that went there as the NBA player Larry McNeill, Jay-Z, DMX and Busta Rhymes.
My friend Dave from Brooklyn tributed Biggie Smalls with a touching letter. Here is the link to read it!
No Comments