Biggie’s influence cannot be denied in current hip-hop culture. JAY-Z and Diddy are among industry greats who have paid homage to the talent and influence of Biggie by dedicating songs to him. So it is no surprise that the late music icon the Notorious B.I.G. was officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in this year’s virtual ceremony. 

Born Christopher Wallace, he was the only rapper to be inducted this year and one of seven hip-hop artists to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As of this weekend, he joined the ranks of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur. 

Accepting the award on their father’s behalf was the rapper’s children C.J. and T’yanna Wallace. “When my father passed away, I was only 3 years old,” T’yanna said. “Even though I didn’t get to know him the way that 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. 

The rap icon was also honored by Diddy, JAY-Z, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Diddy, who signed the Brooklyn rapper to Bad Boy Records in 1993, said, “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,” Diddy 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!”

Twenty years after his death, his music still resonates with fans. Wallace was known for spitting easy lyrics and his full of life personality.