 Christopher George Latore Wallace ( May 21 , 1972 – March 9 , 1997 ) , better known by his stage names The Notorious B.I.G , Biggie , or Biggie Smalls , was an American rapper . He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time . Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City . He released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994 , while still signed to Wild Pitch Records . It was released on a major label, Bad Boy Records , in 1997 . Wallace's career was cut short when he was murdered in Los Angeles, California