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Back to the Article » HE WAS 'NOTORIOUS' BUT: Was B.I.G really that influential to deserve a biopic?

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Name: jazzfan

Comment: I agree for the most part, and if you're going to say that it was the beats that set Biggie apart, then credit would have to be given as much to the producers and the artists such as the Isley Brothers, DeBarge and Mtume that were sampled on the hits as to Chris Wallace. Also, Sean Combs is a master marketer if nothing else, and the fact that B.I.G.'s name still resonates a dozen years after his killing is a tribute to how Puffy has kept his mealticket's name out there.

Name: poeticlyspkng

Comment: I totally agree. I never got the whole Biggie thing. When I was growing up, no young teenage girls were screaming over the Fat Boys even though we liked their music. Biggie was no smaller or better looking than those guys. He had the benefit of an up and coming Puffy to help him out which seemed to be good for artists- back then. His most memorable line for me was saying he was black and ugly as ever. Yep.

Name: FreakyQue2U

Comment: Three things that got (and kept) Biggie out there: 1.) The marketing of Puffy 2.) The feud between Biggie and Tupac 3.) The events surrounding his murder six months after Tupac's murder Roo!!

Name: dcdouglass01

Comment: Influential enough to deserve a biopic? No. Interesting enough to have a movie made based on his life? Who isn't interesting enough to have a character-study movie made about them, if you spice it up enough (Lil' Kim is crying now that they sacrificed who she truly was for the sake of spicing up movie). The movie is being marketed very well, no doubt. And some reviews I read yesterday were quite complimentary. But that simply means it's a good movie, not that Biggie is some hugely iconic figure deserving of a biopic. Beyond that, Biggie Smalls shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Malcolm X.

Name: DCGG

Comment: Fuvk NO...

Name: Sigmatherunner

Comment: Not even deserving of a comic book.

Name: Dean32

Comment: What a waste of time. Going to see a movie about black men killing themselve over a brainless thug lifestyle is not something I would go see if it were free. In this day and time I know we as a race have a more important task ahead. There is nothing about black on black crime to be proud of. NO!!!!!

Name: MzTee

Comment: ITA with article. As someone else wrote, I never understood the Biggie phenomenon - and still don't. Old boy was occasionally clever with a lyric, but I couldn't get with his nasally flow or the breathing that accompanied each verse he rapped. And I don't think Biggies's two albums are influential or innovative enough to warrant him being labeled GOAT.

Name: NYCsoul

Comment: ITA with all the comments. I didn't get it when Biggie was alive (yeah, yeah I know about his flow and style) and I don't get now that he is dead. A story like this would not bother if there was a balance in decent black movies out there. But there aren't. I don't know even know why this is a biopic. I guess Diddy and mama had to milk Biggie's 'acclaim' one mo' time. At least, Pac would have made a more interesting subject than Biggie.

Name: shaeshae

Comment: I don't think he should have a biopic. If anything, I only paid attention to Biggie because of Diddy or because of his beef with Tupac. I never got into B.I.G., didn't buy his music, etc. I'd much rather see a movie about the shooting of Oscar Grant and what changes the police departments need to make in order to provide officers with the right training so our youth aren't murdered in the streets like dogs.

Name: TMan

Comment: I never got the whole Biggie thing but then again I never got the whole TuPac thing either. I mean as far as how they are both considered The Greatest Rappers that people idolize and wear their t-shirts and and all. Will Smith hit it when he said '94 and '95 were the Dark Ages of Rap. I find that the crowd that holds Tupac up the most is the 20 year olders and the yng 30 year olds. From 35 on up, I think we feel the same way about them -- what was the big deal about these guys? Thug Life, lyrics that made material things out of women, abuse, killing, it goes on. The ads for this movie look incredibly corny to me. It looks like something that would be on VH-1 or MTV instead of being in theaters. DC Douglass you make some good points though.

Name: sexypanther86

Comment: ITA!!!! I didn't like his music. What has he done that was so important that he deserved a movie about his life?? NOTHING! This movie is just another way for Puffy, P Diddy or whatever his name is, to make more money off the death of Biggie. Nothing more. Tupac was way more important than Biggie and his lyrics were much deeper too. He had a message in his rap songs. The should have done a 1 hr special on BET or MTV and left it at that.

Name: Justconcern

Comment: Thank u shaehae ur words was priceless. I think a movie on Oscar Grant and how he was shot down like a 4 legged dog, is more approciate than this. 2 C what can B done about the abuse of power of policemans etc. I am from the city Oscar was killed in. he was a friend of one of my sons.The city(as the world was) OUTRAGE!!!!! when we saw the video of this cop shooting this young man in the back in cold blood.They were rioting and protesting last week after Oscar funeral and even 2day was protesting when they finally arrested this police-officer which is the 14th of January, and he shot this young man Jan 1st and was allowed 2 remain free, he wasn't questioned, he pleaded the 5th and Quit his job!!& wouldn't cooperate with law officals I saw 2day young people laying in the streets protesting saying (Don't Shoot me) What they said Oscar said b/4 he was killed.) somebody 2day even brought a casket to the picketing scene trying 2 show their outrage at this crime. A lot of in justice had taken place here and law officals have gotten away 4 years!!! This time the out cry was enoromous!!! we r being shoot down like human life dosen't matter any more. Yes do a movie about this in justice , and what can b done done about it changing the way policemens r trained!!!! I saw this policeman 2day and all I saw was a smug look on his face, like he'd done nothing wrong!!!!!!!

Name: JMarie

Comment: Biggie was one of the most influential people to the world of “pop” hip-hop much like the stuff we hear on the radio today. He made hip-hop accessible to the masses, glammed it up and changed the game into a lucrative business model that became incredibly profitable. Hell even today they are still profiting from it and many rappers today can attest to this. What he did was he catapulted hip-hop to a level of commercialism that it had not experienced before. It also provided a formula for what hip-hop artist “should” be like. His music defined a lifestyle that people lapped up like water. It gave the industry a way to exploit hip-hop and make into this multi-billion dollar business. Of course, it has gotten extreme to the point where it is self-destructive. Hip-hop is now being portrayed as ostentatious, coon like behavior mixed with uninspiring lyrics and intoxicating beats. So does all this merit the title “King of Hip hop” or “Best Rapper of All Time “absolutely not. Titles such as these are often donned to the most popular or well-known figures not the most deserving. Biggie became the poster child of glamorized hip-hop that sells. He certainly had talent however; his name became a household name because of the strategic marketing that convinced millions upon millions that Biggie was the best rapper alive. EPMD and other fellow influential rappers of the hip-hop community prior to Biggie did not garner such acclaim that had 2 year olds reciting verses from ‘Juicy’. It’s the dirty truth that is so evident in the hip-hop culture today. Therefore, this film marks one of the most important moments of hip-hop. One can even argue that the tagline is fitting because of the impact his music has had on the portrayal of African Americans in the media. However, I must agree the tagline to the film is too much of a stretch.

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