After weeks of rumors, Variety can confirm that the estate of the Notorious B.I.G. and Primary Wave Music have struck a partnership encompassing the late rapper’s music publishing and recordings, as well as his name, image, and likeness. The estate and Primary Wave will collaborate on all business moving forward.
The deal closed just weeks after the rapper’s mother, Voletta Wallace, passed away last month. However, sources say she was involved in nearly every aspect of the deal’s negotiations.
While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Wall Street Journal reports that the estate was valued at $200 million. “The estate and Primary Wave will collaborate on all business moving forward in an effort to continue the incredible and innovative work done thus far with one goal in mind, to keep the legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. alive,” the company said in a statement. News of the deal, which was incomplete at the time, was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter late last month.
While he was murdered at the age of just 24, Notorious B.I.G. (real name: Christopher Wallace) is universally considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, if not the greatest, on the basis of just two albums and a handful of other tracks. His debut, “Ready to Die,” was released in 1994 and forged a rare balance of hard-hitting street rap and lighter, more pop-oriented singles like “Juicy.” His second album was nearly complete at the time of his death and included more classics, notably “Hypnotized.” While there have been a pair of posthumous albums released, none approach the quality of his first two.
More to come…
