“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.” This text by Christopher Wallace simply states that if you want something you can get it with hard work. Christopher Wallace, known to the world as Notorious B.I.G., was a product of the streets growing up in the Brooklyn ghetto in the 1990s. Christopher has inspired many with his timeless lyrics that reflect the American dream from the perspective of the average poverty-stricken youth. His rise to success gave hope to the masses that if a kid from Brooklyn can make it big, anyone can (Wilkins). His songs and image continue to impact the world today, becoming 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). At the age of two his father left the family and from then on his mother worked two jobs to support her son. At age 10 he was an excellent student during his middle school years and had earned the name Biggie due to his overweight stature. At the age of 12 Biggie began selling illegal drugs (Wilkins). At the age of 17 Christopher dropped out of high school. In 1989 he was arrested in Brooklyn on weapons charges and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990 he was arrested for violating probation. Just a year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in prison before posting bail (Wilkins). During this time Christopher decided to focus on his budding rap career and try to get away 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 halfway point of paper life. The Notorious B.I.G. forever changed the face of hip-hop and has deservedly become an iconic figure in today's society. The sky is the limit and Biggie was truly living proof of that. Works CitedDowd, Maureen. “Rapping on Rubio.” New York Times February 13, 2013: A27(L). Student resources in context. Network. 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. Network. December 3, 2013 Biographies UXL "Notorious BIG". Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Network. 3 December 2013. Santora, Marc. "In Brooklyn, objections to rapper's naming corner." New York Times October 20, 2013: A18(L). Student resources in context. Network. December 3, 2013.Wilkins, David. "Notorious BIG" journalists. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Student Resources in Context. Network. December 3. 2013.