Remembering a B.I.G. Funeral Procession 25 Years Later
It’s hard to imagine a funeral procession being a joyous celebration but that’s exactly what happened when fans turned out in droves to honour rap icon Biggie Smalls.
Biggie died on March 9, 1997 after being gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles and nine days later thousands of people lined the streets of his hometown neighbourhood Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.
Biggie, born Christopher Wallace, was raised in an apartment on St. James Place in Bed-Stuy and was a prominent figure in the neighbourhood even before he became famous. He honed his skills as a freestyle rapper on the streets of Brooklyn before becoming a platinum-selling hip hop icon.
The crowds chanted and cheered, waiting for the procession which included the hearse carrying Biggie’s body to pass by. The 27-year-old rapper’s music played from speakers as people crowded the sidewalks, hung out windows, perched on lampposts and climbed onto cars hoping to catch a glimpse.
It took more than 10 minutes for the long line of limos to move down St. James Place, past the apartment where Biggie grew up. Out front of the building neighbors and fans had created a shrine to the King of New York, leaving flowers, candles, and empty bottles of champagne and cognac.
The procession followed a star-studded service at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan attended by rap royalty that included Queen Latifah, Flava Flav, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Run-DMC, Busta Rhymes, Salt, Pepa and Spinderella.
Biggie's estranged wife, singer Faith Evans, sang the gospel song "Walk With Me, Lord," and Sean (Puffy) Combs, head of the rapper’s label Bad Boy Records, eulogized the artist who is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.
His murder happened just seven months after the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Both crimes, long attributed to the east coast – west coast rap war, remain unsolved to this day.
Biggie remains ever present in his beloved neighbourhood thanks to the 38 foot “King of New York” mural painted by a local arts group at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Quincy Street in 2015.
RIP - BIG