The Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher George Latore Wallace, was a highly influential American rapper born in 1972. He emerged from the Brooklyn hip-hop scene in the 1990s and quickly gained prominence with his debut album "Ready to Die." Biggie, known for his distinctive flow and storytelling abilities, is celebrated as one of the greatest and most iconic rappers in the history of the genre, but his life was tragically cut short when he was fatally shot in 1997 at the age of 24.