“The sky is the limit and you know you can have, what you want, be what you want, have what you want, be what you want . » These words from Christopher Wallace simply state that if you want something, it is possible for you to achieve it with enough hard work. Christopher Wallace, known worldwide as Notorious B.I.G., emerged from the streets of the Brooklyn ghetto in the 1990s. Christopher inspired many with his timeless lyrics reflecting the American dream from the perspective of the average, stricken youth by poverty. His rise to success gave hope to the masses that if one young kid from Brooklyn can make it, anyone can (Wilkins). His songs and image continue to impact the world today as he has become one of music's biggest pop icons. On May 21, 1972, Voletta Wallace gave birth to her son Christopher at St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York (Itzkoff). When he was two years old, his father left the family and his mother now worked two jobs to support her son. By the age of 10, he was an excellent student in middle school and had earned the nickname Biggie due to his overweight. At age 12, Biggie began selling illegal drugs (Wilkins). At age 17, Christopher dropped out of high school. In 1989, he was arrested for weapons possession in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years of probation. In 1990, he was arrested for violating his probation. Only a year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in prison before being released on bail (Wilkins). Meanwhile, Christopher decided to focus on his budding rap career and try to distance himself from the crime scene. In 1992, he met Puffy who signed him to Uptown Records. By the end of 1992, Puffy and Biggie had both reached the midpoint of paper life. The Notorious BIG forever changed the face of hip-hop and has rightfully become an iconic figure in today's society. The sky is the limit and Biggie was truly living proof. Works Cited Dowd, Maureen. “The rap about Rubio.” New York Times February 13, 2013: A27(L). Student resources in context. Internet. December 3, 2013. Itzkoff, Dave and Laura Sinagra. "Smalls, Biggie: Biggie: Voletta Wallace remembers her son." Biography 29.3 (2006): 540. Student Resources in Context. Internet. December 3, 2013. “Notorious BIG” UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Internet. December 3, 2013. Santora, Marc. "In Brooklyn, objections to the designation of a corner for the rapper." New York Times October 20, 2013: A18(L). Student resources in context. Internet. December 3, 2013. Wilkins, David. “Notorious BIG” Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Student Resources in Context. Internet. December 3. 2013.