Slain rapper Biggie resurrected for 'Duets'

NEW YORK - In the eight years since the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher Wallace), the hip-hop community's love for the rapper has never wavered. On December 20, Sean "Diddy" Combs will offer fans new tracks featuring the slain artist when "Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter" hits stores.

The Bad Boy Entertainment/Atlantic Records album pairs the voice of Biggie with some of today's most popular artists and producers, among them Eminem, Jay-Z, R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige. Biggie also is joined on several duets by other such departed legends as reggae artist Bob Marley, rapper Big Pun and his most notable rival, Tupac Shakur, who was shot to death in 1996 and whose unsolved murder has been linked to that of Wallace the following year.

To create the material, producers took Biggie's existing vocals and created new tracks around them with the living performers adding their parts. For the deceased artists, vocals from both parties were wrapped around new tracks.

Combs told Billboard that the album came about because of the overwhelming demand from artists seeking to sample Biggie's vocals.

"Different people wanted to utilize his vocals and do duets with him on mix tapes," he said. "It showed us that (a), there was still a huge demand for people to hear Biggie's vocals, and (b), that other artists still had love for Biggie even though he had such a short career."

According to Bad Boy marketing director Jason Wiley, picking the list of guest artists proved overwhelming.

"When (Diddy) made the announcement about the album, so many people were enthusiastic about being on it. For every artist that made the album, there's about 20 or 30 more that didn't," he said.

Such artists as Disturbing Tha Peace/Def Jam singer Bobby Valentino, who shows up on "Living the Life," are not taking their inclusion lightly.

"He contributed so much in changing the mind state of hip-hop. It was a privilege to be asked to be a part of this project," Valentino said.

Big Gee, one-fourth of Bad Boy South's Boyz N Da Hood, who appears on "Hustler's Story," seconded Valentino's sentiments, saying, "B.I.G. is the best MC to ever spit on the mic. Being on this song is the opportunity of a lifetime."

While Combs said crossover success is not his primary goal, he does believe the guests featured on the album, such as rock group Korn and Nelly, can help make the project a mainstream hit.

"Honestly, we've never gone for that, but we think we have that with the first single ("Nasty Girl"), which has myself, Nelly and Jagged Edge on there. All of us on the record have a track record at crossover."

The song, which also features newcomer Avery Storm, is No. 43 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Another track, "Whatchu Want," featuring Jay-Z, is also garnering spins.

Bad Boy is launching an extensive marketing campaign that has an interesting theatrical component.

"We're partnering with the Loews movie theatres, so you're going to hear his music there," Wiley said. "You're also going to see posters and standees (in the theatres) like there's a movie coming."

Bad Boy also has joined with Wal-Mart and BET to sell a CD/DVD combo that offers consumers a chance to win a limited-edition double-face Notorious B.I.G. watch. Bad Boy has teamed with Biggie's mother, Violetta Wallace, for a promotional tour that will push the album and her memoir, "Biggie."

In addition, a never-before-seen Pepsi commercial that the rapper shot shortly before his death will be resurrected.

- REUTERS/Billboard

---

Extra Content: Biggie's Ready to Die Among TIME's ALL-Time 100

More News : Bad Boy set to release new B.I.G. Duets, on The Notorious B.I.G.: The Final Chapter

Discuss Bad Boy Records on our Message Board