Photographer: Larry @firemediagroupatl

‍Trap Music Museum To Showcase Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Exhibit   ‍

The Trap Music Museum of Atlanta, Ga., has announced it will feature the Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace exhibit beginning October 11.
This date holds a special place in the heart of all who love hip hop music because it is deemed Christopher Wallace Day. The Notorious B.I.G. will be honored by the museum that day with the opening of an invitation-only event. The “Volume 2 – ATL Edition” exhibit will be available for public viewing beginning October 12 until November 11, giving visitors one short month to soak in the icon’s display.

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Trap Museum focuses on telling the unique ‘Trap Music’ culture through unique pieces that honor some of hip-hops most influential stars who laid the foundation for the greatness of the genre and its culture. Even though hip hop has been alive and well since the 1970s in the United States of America, the Trap Museum is one of the first of its kind to celebrate the southern-based trap music genre. Since opening its doors in 2018, the museum has honored the careers of artists from 21 Savage to Gucci Mane and more.

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The Notorious B.I.G, or “Biggie,” as he was well-known, was an American rapper and songwriter born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He experienced street life from an early age, a part of his life that heavily influenced his musical styling and lyrics later on. Survival on the streets led to a stint in jail, but upon his release, he was determined to turn his life around and borrowed a friend’s recorder. His musical career began in his basement, where he mixed a few tapes on his own that soon made the rounds on the streets. As fate would have it, a producer by the name of Sean Combs was one of the early listeners of his tapes and signed him to his label, Bad Boy Records.

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They worked together on Biggie’s first album, and many came to hear his music for the first time on Mary. J. Blige’s remix of “Who’s the Man?”

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The Notorious B.I.G. continued to gain success through features of other popular artists and with the launch of his own debut album in 1994. “Ready to Die” included his songs “Big Poppa” and “Juicy” and made him a key representative of East Coast hip hop, turning the music industry’s eye back to New York during a time when the West Coast was leading the industry. It would later lead to a country divided between east coast and west coast in hip hop.
Biggie went on to work with the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jackson before forming his own group, Junior M.A.F.I.A., or Junior Masters at Finding Intelligent Attitudes. The group released its first album, Conspiracy, and included rising stars Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease. The album quickly went gold, and he continued his collaboration with other artists, many of which reached the Hot 100.

Unfortunately, both his career and life were ended much too soon when the east coast verses west coast rivalry became all too real. On Sept. 7, 1996, west coaster rapper “Tupac” was gunned downed leaving a boxing match. Scared for his life, “Biggie” set his fear aside to attend multiple west coast events in hopes of restoring peace. Unfortunately, Biggie was tragically killed on March 9 while sitting in an SUV at just 24-years-old. Hip hope was met with heartbreak at the loss of two of the most iconic rappers to ever live.  

The Notorious B.I.G. is still to this day considered one of the best of all time. Rolling Stone agreed, calling him the “greatest rapper that ever lived,” while Billboard placed him as the greatest rapper of all time. In the year 2020, Biggie was rightly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His record sales prove it, with certified sales within the United States topping 28 million copies, which included a whopping 21 million albums.
It was an easy choice for those with the Trap Music Museum to honor the life and legacy of a musician who had such a major influence throughout his life and continues to hold today.

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“Growing up in NYC, Biggie’s music always curated a vibe. When pitched the opportunity to honor him through art – it was a no-brainer,” General Manger of Trap Musuem Krystal Garner said.
In addition, rapper Clifford TI Harris revealed the Trap Muzik album dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Trap Music Museum and all those who contributed to the success of the hip-hop museum that led to the creation of its own music genre. The gallery went on to partner in the “Explore Atlanta” project and honored the Juneteenth holiday with “A Celebration of Everything Black.”
Trap Museum is open Thursday through Sunday. Thursday is reservation only, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday hours are 4 p.m to 10 p.m., while Saturday is noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday is noon to 8 p.m. The museum is located in the heart of west Atlanta at 630 Travis St. NW with an escape room for visitors to enjoy as well. For more information on the Trap Music Museum, click here.