Seven Reasons To Celebrate Christopher Wallace Over Christopher Columbus
Today marks Indigenous People's Day, formerly Christopher Columbus Day; social media is unloading its fury on the European colonizer who did not discover America and was a murderer and slave trader. Therefore, on this day, we thought it would be better honor to one of the greatest emcees ever to touch a mic. With Jay Z championing the lyrics in the song "Oceans," "the only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace," here are our seven reasons why the Notorious B.I.G. deserves all the praise on this day instead of Columbus.
Biggie helped foster a culture ― not erase one.
Christopher Columbus not only infiltrated the land of the Arawak tribe but also saw to it that disease and genocide would eradicate their deeply-rooted culture. Christopher Wallace, on the other hand, helped bridge the gap between hip hop and the light production of R&B with deep like "Juicy" and "Big Poppa."
He Founded The Hustler's Bill of Rights
It's often said that the game is to be sold and not to be told, but Biggie generously dropped gems on Life After Death's "10 Crack Commandments." Sampling Public Enemy's "Shut Em' Down," the Brooklyn lyricist gave us prophecy on the stand-out track as he detailed all the dos and don'ts of the drug game, which or more less can be applied to everyday life.
Biggie Actually Had A Knack For "Discovery"
While history would allow for Columbus to be lauded as "discovering America" ― this is far from the case. Biggie's penchant for molding burgeoning talent, however, is iconic in its own right. From serving as a mentor to the likes of Jay Z and Cam'ron to discovering Lil' Kim on the streets of Brooklyn, Big surely deserves a statue in his honor. See Kim reflecting on Big in 1997.
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He collaborated with the king of pop not once ― but twice
The first time the entertainers connected on wax was in 1995 on Michael Jackson's "This Time Around." Then, six years later MJ released his tenth studio album Invincible which featured a posthumous verse from B.I.G. This feat alone makes Biggie legendary.
Biggie's Fashion Sense Was Iconic
From Versace frames to the finest in designer threads, Biggie was always sharp. Columbus could never single-handedly change the rap game with a Coogi stitch.
He was far from more generous than you'd imagine
Shortly before his death, Biggie distributed copies of Ready to Die on cassette at his childhood home in Brooklyn, which resulted in hundreds queuing up around the block. In a 2012 interview with Vlad TV, Busta Rhymes hilariously recalled the incident saying, “I watched Biggie give away Ready to Die and thought he was crazy. From his house, dubbing the album on a double cassette deck and had a line in front of his crib on St. James like he was selling the best c*ke ever. That was like the most illest sh*t because it was his way of marketing himself.”
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Biggie Helped Others Embrace Their Flaws
From being transparent about his humble beginnings and stitching designer logos on his clothes, Biggie reveled in his flaws and was always unapologetic. The rapper's discography can easily serve as a master class in self-esteem.
