NEW YORK 鈥� During the late 1990s when the Notorious B.I.G. emerged as rap鈥檚 top performer, detailing street life in Brooklyn on songs and albums that dominated the pop charts, his mother didn鈥檛 think much of his music, which she used to call 鈥渘oise.鈥�
Now, she can鈥檛 live without that noise.
Voletta Wallace says after her son died in 1997, she connected with his music and fell in love with Christopher Wallace, the artist.
鈥淚 remembered my son said: 鈥楧on鈥檛 listen to my music.鈥� And I never listened to his music. I heard it on the radio and it sounded good, because it was clean. But I said: 鈥榊ou know what, I have to. I have to listen to that music.鈥� And that鈥檚 what I did,鈥� Wallace said in a recent interview with the Associated Press.
鈥淚 cried so much that day just listening to the music. I remember I sat, I stood. I rested my head on the stereo and I just cried like a baby. And that was therapy for me. And I said: 鈥極h my God 鈥� that was a talented young man to put those words together.鈥� He had a beautiful voice. I love his voice.鈥�
Wallace details the love for the Notorious B.I.G. as both his mother and No. 1 fan in the new, three-hour documentary, Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. It debuts Monday at 8 p.m. on A&E.
In the film, directed by Emmy nominee Mark Ford, rap acts such as Jay-Z and Nas discuss B.I.G.鈥檚 impact on hip-hop culture, and Wallace said watching those performers speak passionately about her son helped her understand his importance in music, and made her a true fan of rap music.
鈥淸I] appreciate these other artists out there, too 鈥� because believe me, they were just people making noises. But now they have a story,鈥� said Wallace, an executive producer of the film.
B.I.G. was shot to death at age 24. His 1994 debut album for Bad Boy Records, Ready to Die, sold more than four million albums and included the hits
Big Poppa and Juicy. His sophomore album, Life After Death, was released two weeks after his death, and sold more than 10 million units. It launched multiple hits, including the No.1 successes Mo Money Mo Problems and Hypnotize.
鈥淧eople really genuinely loved B.I.G., you know. Outside of the fact that he was just such an incredible artist and just a genius to be able to do, you know, what he did, he was just a great person,鈥� said R&B singer and B.I.G.鈥檚 widow, Faith Evans, sitting next to Wallace.
鈥淸It] seems like the fans love him like we do 鈥� and we know they didn鈥檛 know him that way 鈥� but I think this film really kind of gives them a chance to somewhat know him in that way,鈥� added Evans, also an executive producer of the documentary.
鈥淓very time I watch it I tear up.鈥�
Biggie offers a more human side to the man who is arguably rap鈥檚 most powerful voice, shedding light on his personality and how he acted away from the music. Wallace said she even learned more about her son after completing the film: 鈥淚 found out things about my son in this documentary that I never knew. So, it was a healing process for me.鈥�
