Solo Artist · The King of New York

The Notorious B.I.G.

Active1992-1997
DiedMarch 9, 1997
OriginBrooklyn, New York City
Albums2
Tracks41

Most frequent collaborator: Sean Combs  ·  25 tracks

East Coast Hip-HopGangsta RapHardcore Hip-Hop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 41 of 41 tracks

Did The Notorious B.I.G. write his own songs?

Yes. Biggie wrote his own verses on nearly every track, famously composing his rhymes in his head rather than writing them down. He is the credited lyricist across almost all of his catalog, including 'Juicy,' 'Big Poppa,' and 'Hypnotize,' joined only by the guests who wrote their own verses, like Method Man on 'The What.'

By the Numbers

2
Studio Albums
41
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
over 28 million certified units in the US (including 21 million albums)
Records Sold
5
Years Active
162
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 41 / 41 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 41 tracks: how many The Notorious B.I.G. wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

The Notorious B.I.G. has a writing credit100%
100%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written41tracks100%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
The Notorious B.I.G.'s roles across the catalogue

Share of all 41 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer5%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

The Notorious B.I.G.'s writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
1994Ready to Die
1997Life After Death

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1990s
Ready to Die, Life After Death

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where The Notorious B.I.G. sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

The Notorious B.I.G.
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Aaliyah0%
Selena13%
Backstreet Boys25%
Billy Ray Cyrus47%
TLC59%
Usher74%
Snoop Dogg88%
100%The Notorious B.I.G.
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Juicy
Ready to Die
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Jean Olivier, James Mtume
Co-wrote
Big Poppa
Ready to Die
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Carl Thompson, Ronald Isley, Chris Jasper, O'Kelly Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ernest Isley
Co-wrote
One More Chance
Ready to Die
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Norman Glover, Carl Thompson, Reginald Ellis, Bunny DeBarge, Mark DeBarge, El DeBarge
Co-wrote
Hypnotize
Life After Death
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Deric Angelettie, Ron Lawrence, Andy Armer, Randy Alpert, Ricky Walters, Douglas Davis
Co-wrote
Mo Money Mo Problems
Life After Death
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Puff Daddy, Christopher Wallace, Steven Jordan, Sean Combs, Mason Betha, Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers
Co-wrote
Sky's the Limit
Life After Death
Written by The Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Rodolfo Franklin, Robert Caldwell, Hubert Eaves, James Williams
Co-wrote

Discography 2 albums

Catalog covers the two studio albums The Notorious B.I.G. released in his lifetime, Ready to Die (1994) and Life After Death (1997). The later releases Born Again (1999) and Duets: The Final Chapter (2005) are posthumous compilations built from unreleased verses and guest features rather than albums he recorded as cohesive studio works, so they are omitted here.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

The Notorious B.I.G.41 tracks
SC25 S"22 OH9 SJ9 EM8 SJ8

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. SC Sean Combs · S" Sean "Puffy" Combs · OH Osten Harvey · SJ Stevie J · EM Easy Mo Bee · SJ Steven Jordan

The Writers & Producers Behind The Notorious B.I.G. 6 key collaborators

SC
Sean Combs
Songwriter
Ready to Die / Life After Death25 tracks
S"
Sean "Puffy" Combs
Producer
Ready to Die / Life After Death22 tracks
OH
Osten Harvey
Songwriter
Ready to Die / Life After Death9 tracks
SJ
Stevie J
Producer
Life After Death9 tracks
EM
Easy Mo Bee
Producer
Ready to Die / Life After Death8 tracks
SJ
Steven Jordan
Songwriter
Life After Death8 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

The Notorious B.I.G. sits high on the lyricist scale and very high on the composer scale, the classic shape for a sample-based rapper. He wrote his own verses on nearly every track, so his stage name anchors the lyricist column, joined only by the featured rappers who wrote their own guest verses. The composer column swells far wider, because rap beats here are built on cleared samples and interpolations: each track lists his legal name, Christopher Wallace, alongside the producers and the original writers of every sampled record, from funk and soul veterans to fellow hip-hop figures.

Quick Facts

  • Real nameChristopher Wallace, from Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant
  • LabelSigned to Sean 'Puffy' Combs's Bad Boy Records
  • Writing methodComposed his rhymes in his head rather than writing them down
  • No. 1 singles'Hypnotize' and 'Mo Money Mo Problems' both topped the Hot 100
  • US salesOver 28 million certified units, including 21 million albums
  • AlbumsTwo: Ready to Die (1994) and the posthumous Life After Death (1997)

Creative Fingerprint

A lyricist who wrote it all in his head: Biggie penned his own verses on nearly every track, so his name anchors the lyric credits while the composer lists swell with the sampled records his beats were built from.

The Story

The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace and also known as Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Raised in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, he signed to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records and turned vivid street narratives, effortless flow, and dark humor into the defining East Coast sound of the mid-1990s. His 1994 debut Ready to Die made him a star and helped pull hip-hop's center of gravity back to New York during the rivalry with the West Coast scene. He wrote his own rhymes throughout, with beats built largely from soul, funk, and R&B samples credited to a wide field of original songwriters and producers like Sean Combs, Easy Mo Bee, and DJ Premier. He was shot and killed in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, sixteen days before the release of his double album Life After Death.

Awards & Recognition

'Hypnotize' and 'Mo Money Mo Problems' both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (1997)
Over 28 million certified units sold in the US per the RIAA
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2020)

Frequently Asked Questions The Notorious B.I.G.

Did The Notorious B.I.G. write his own songs?
Yes. Biggie wrote his own verses on nearly every track, famously composing his rhymes in his head rather than writing them down. He is the credited lyricist across almost all of his catalog, including 'Juicy,' 'Big Poppa,' and 'Hypnotize,' joined only by the guests who wrote their own verses, like Method Man on 'The What.'
Why is Biggie called the King of New York?
The Notorious B.I.G. earned the nickname 'The King of New York' as the artist who pulled hip-hop's spotlight back to the East Coast in the mid-1990s. The Source magazine used the phrase 'The King of New York Takes Over' on a July 1995 cover, cementing the title.
Who wrote 'Juicy'?
'Juicy' was written by The Notorious B.I.G., with the beat built on a sample of Mtume's 'Juicy Fruit,' so the composer credits also include that song's writers. It appears on his 1994 debut Ready to Die and is one of the most celebrated rap songs of all time.
How did The Notorious B.I.G. die?
Biggie was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, at the age of 24. His murder, which remains officially unsolved, came just sixteen days before the release of his second album.
How many albums did The Notorious B.I.G. release?
He released only two studio albums: Ready to Die in 1994 and the double album Life After Death in 1997. Life After Death came out sixteen days after his death and became an immediate commercial and critical success.
Was Life After Death released before or after Biggie died?
Life After Death was released on March 25, 1997, sixteen days after Biggie was murdered. Its lead singles 'Hypnotize' and 'Mo Money Mo Problems' both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
How many records has The Notorious B.I.G. sold?
His certified US sales exceed 28 million units, including around 21 million albums, according to the RIAA. Both Ready to Die and Life After Death are certified multi-platinum.
Who wrote 'Mo Money Mo Problems'?
'Mo Money Mo Problems' was written by The Notorious B.I.G. with guest verses from Puff Daddy and Mase, who wrote their own parts, and it samples Diana Ross's 'I'm Coming Out.' The beat's sample means its composer credits also list the original song's writers. It topped the Hot 100 in 1997.

Sources

Wikipedia: The Notorious B.I.G. Wikipedia: The Notorious B.I.G. discography