On Saturday, May 21, 2022, there will be a series of tributes taking place to celebrate and remember the late Notorious B.I.G.
In Manhattan, the Empire State Building will light up in red and white with an illuminated crown spinning around its mast. The day prior, in partnership with Bad Boy/Atlantic/Rhino Records, family members, close friends, and fellow Hip Hop luminaries will attend a ceremony at the Empire State Building on Friday.
Then, over in Biggie’s native borough of Brooklyn, the Barclays Center will show a video montage of some classic Biggie tracks on the massive oculus display above the arena’s entrance.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is also set to release a special edition MetroCard printed with Biggie, exclusively available at three subway stations near his old Bedstuy neighborhood: Lafayette Avenue, Clinton – Washington Ave., and Atlantic Ave. – Barclays Center.
Amazon Music and their catalog music brand, [RE]DISCOVER, will take over the Clinton – Washington Ave. station with artwork based on Biggie’s iconic “King of New York” crown photo. Fans will be able to scan a QR code at the station that will give them access to a special Instagram filter celebrating his life and legacy. In addition, Amazon Music and [RE]DISCOVER have united with non-profit Beautify Earth to debut new, custom murals of Biggie created by local artists in each borough, leveraging unused space to adorn them with images inspired by Biggie’s lyrics.
Fun Fact: the crown worn by Biggie when photographed as the King of New York, 1997 last sold for $594,750
The Birthday Celebration Continues
On June 10, there will be a special orchestral tribute at the Lincoln Center in partnership with Bad Boy/Atlantic/Rhino Records and the Christopher Wallace Estate. The black-tie event will feature music arranged and conducted by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, with appearances by The Originals and several special guests. The concert will be free to the public. But, no worries if you can’t make it, Amazon Music will livestream the event exclusively on their Twitch channel as part of Black Music Month.
Also on June 10, there will be a special release on Biggie’s diamond-certified, Grammy nominated second album. The Life After Death 25th anniversary super deluxe box set will include eight vinyl LPs and a commemorative booklet with rare photos from the Life After Death cover shoot, linear notes by Sheldon Pearce, as well as words from those who were involved in the making of the album. There are also some 12” singles, which includes classics “Hypnotize,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Sky’s the Limit,” and “Nasty Boy.”