Diddy pays tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. at Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: “Nobody has come close to the way he sounds”
The Notorious B.I.G. has been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, with Diddy paying tribute to him his induction speech.
The New York rapper – whose real name was Christopher Wallace – was one of a number of stars to be given the honour this year, alongside Whitney Houston, T. Rex, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and more.
During the virtual ceremony last night (November 7), Diddy – who signed the star to his label Bad Boy Records in 1993 – inducted Biggie into the institution. “Big just wanted to be biggest, he wanted to be the best, he wanted to have influence and impact people in a positive way, and that clearly has been done all over the world,” he said.
“Nobody has come close to the way Biggie sounds, to the way he raps, to the frequency that he hits. Tonight we are inducting the greatest rapper of all time into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Notorious B.I.G. representing Brooklyn, New York, we up in here!”
The Notorious B.I.G.’s children Tyanna and CJ Wallace accepted the honour on his behalf, remembering the impact of their father in their own speeches.
“When my dad passed away I was only three years old,” said Tyanna. “Even though I didn’t get to know him as well as I wanted, through his fans and our family I was able to see with my own eyes that his music transcended the hip-hop industry. He was able to not just become the king of New York but the king of the culture.”
CJ added: “Our father was one of the founding fathers of hip-hop. He helped revolutionise what was a young art form for the Black community and the world.
“I’m honoured to share his name and his dedication to Black music, creativity, self-expression, and Black freedom. I love you, Meemaw. Thanks for teaching us who Christopher Wallace was as a son, friend, poet, artist, and father. We love you Meemaw. We love you dad. Brooklyn, we did it!”
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2020 ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in May, but was forced to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the future, induction ceremonies will take place in autumn instead of spring because of the global crisis.