It was his grandmother who suggested he should play the young version of his dad in the film Notorious. Kids sure don't lie like they used to. I think it’s about coming to grips. He’s the one person who challenges me mentally. He says he also calls Todd dad, not stepdad. initiative. It’s hard to think of any actor being given a more difficult debut role than when CJ Wallace was asked to play his father, the infamous rapper The Notorious BIG in the 2009 biopic Notorious. But director Tipping says he thought twice about employing Wallace because he thought there might be baggage. This fall their will be a new American TV show Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and Notorious BIG. Wallace who died of gun shots in 1997. [1], Wallace's breakthrough role came when he was in the 2009 biopic Notorious. That uncomfortable feeling, those uncomfortable conversations and you cannot run from it, over time it eats you.”, So now when it’s mentioned that he looks uncannily like his father, albeit with a more svelte frame, he is able to respond. He then starred in the 2010 comedy film Everything Must Go, but did not have another acting role until he starred in the 2016 adventure film Kicks. Rooted in … did not play live shows. In 2016, he got a lead role in the indie movie Kicks. CJ Wallace talks about his father Biggie Smalls, launching a music career and his new film Kicks The son of the infamous rapper The Notorious BIG played his dad in the 2009 biopic. I was really scared,” he says. Christopher Wallace—aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G. “It’s a lot I had to deal with,” says Wallace with typical understatement. “Being in Notorious at a young age, at 12 years old, seeing my parents go through a divorce, having a younger brother with special needs, he’s autistic, and a sister that lives 3,000 miles away, it’s a lot to deal with.”. Meeting Wallace you can see why Tipping thought he was perfect for the happy-go-lucky part. Christopher George Latorre Wallace Jr. (born October 29, 1996) is an American actor and entrepreneur. However, he can’t escape his forefathers. “Honestly, I didn’t want to do it. Now, at the age of 20, Wallace is back on our screens, playing comic sidekick Albert in Justin Tipping’s film Kicks. In 2019, he played Amir in the third season of the VH1 slasher series Scream. CJ Wallace, the son of Biggie Smalls, is starring in a new comedy 'Kicks' and launching a music career, Best friends Rico (Christopher Meyer), Brandon (Jahking Guillory) and Albert (Wallace) in ‘Kicks’, Wallace played a young version of his father Biggie Smalls in the 2009 biopic about the rapper's life and murder, Christopher Wallace, who was shot to death in his car in 1997, was better known as Notorious BIG or Biggie Smalls, Wallace plays a character called Albert in the new film 'Kicks', {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, C J Wallace on his dad Biggie Smalls, film Kicks and new music career, Booking.com promo: 10% extra with Level 1 Genius membership, Use this Debenhams discount and save up to 70% on men's lines - Spring offer, Exclusive Ideal World promo code: 20% saving on fitness, Up to 70% AliExpress discount on super value deals this week, Argos promo: Up to 50% off in the Tu Kid clothing sale. People are like, ‘do it like your dad did’, and I say I’m not from Brooklyn though.”. Christopher George Latore (CJ) Wallace Jr. was born in New York City on October 29, 1996, the son of late rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, 23, the son of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., said his father would've been happy to share the "notorious" title with his fellow Brooklyn native, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The Notorious B.I.G. But he has learnt to talk about it. That’s not to say The Notorious B.I.G. Before, I wasn’t really questioning things, after I wanted to know things about the Tupac situation. In the film, he played the younger version of his father. It’s got to be about everything, being uncomfortable talking about my dad, we have to push the envelope with these uncomfortable conversations.”, He continues: “It’s a true test of character. Everyone will be surprised and eat it up.”. 's Son, Christopher 'CJ' Wallace Stars in 'Everything Must Go, "A Picture Window on a Life Turned Inside Out", "Exposing the Ridiculousness of Hypermasculinity: An Interview With Justin Tipping", "CJ Wallace, Son Of The Notorious B.I.G., Talks About His New Cannabis Brand Honoring His Father", "The Notorious B.I.G. “Making that film changed the way that I studied my dad,” he says. 's son CJ Wallace (Christopher Wallace Jr.) is keeping his father's legacy alive with his Think B.I.G. One experience that gave Wallace a greater understanding of his legendary dad was portraying him at a young age in 2009’s Notorious. The late Notorious B.I.G.’s son, CJ Wallace, played him in the movie ‘Notorious’, but really wasn’t interested in playing the role of his father.He shared, “When I did Notorious, my grandma, Ms. [Voletta] Wallace… We talk about that too. I think if I made that film when I was older, it would not have impacted me personally in the same way.”, Launching his own music career will surely make comparisons to his father more inevitable. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The mystery over the still-unsolved murder and the interest surrounding his discord with fellow deceased rapper Tupac Shakur has kept the story continually in the limelight. He then starred in the 2010 comedy film Everything Must Go,[2][3][4] but did not have another acting role until he starred in the 2016 adventure film Kicks. ", "[VIDEO] Notorious B.I.G. When I did ‘Notorious,’ my grandma, Ms. [Voletta] Wallace, told me that I should come in and read for the part as my father. She isn’t Biggie’s only child. “I was curious, but not in the way that I was after I made that film. He says if he truly wanted to avoid conversations about his past, he would have become a doctor or a lawyer, rather than pursue a career in entertainment. Wallace, who likes to go by the nickname C.J., made his acting debut in 2009s Notorious. It is music that is taken up his time now, but he also dreams that in the future he’ll go to film school and take up directing. I guess it’s something really hard to talk about.”. [6][7], Wallace, alongside his stepfather Todd Russaw and fellow entrepreneur Willie Mac, launched a cannabis company called Think BIG in March 2019. ‘Kicks’ will be available on digital download from 22 May, Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. "“When I did ‘Notorious,’ my grandma, Ms. [Voletta] Wallace, she told me that I should come in and read for the part as my father,” CJ told The BVX. I think I was five or six, hiding in the studio, putting my ear next to the speaker listening to every song. Honestly, I didn’t want to do it. It’s something that his mother says to him all the time: “You are just like him. Wallace's breakthrough role came when he was in the 2009 biopic Notorious. To which he just says: “Thanks.”, The rapport between Wallace and director Tipping was strong from the start. It’s like any other situation. It is a personal journey that helped them create songs for the forthcoming album. “CJ and I met in the summer of 2018; he came to me as a client … I need my brother with me, honestly to get into that space. “I have a very good idea who murdered Christopher and I genuinely believe that the LAPD know exactly who did too,” Voletta Wallace said in […] Thursday, March 9th marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace… He also appeared on the soundtrack, performing The Breaks. He wants to make all the music videos to accompany the songs on his album. The general rule of nomenclature is that if you have good connections it will land you a job. In the film Albert is asked to come to the aid of his friend Brandon, after the latter’s prized Nike Air Jordan’s are literally stolen from his feet. He sees music and acting as part of the same parcel. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. “Justin gave me freedom to do what I pleased that helped,” says Wallace. In another of his posts, the young … It’s Jahad that encouraged him to put his travails into the art, encouraging him to do a course at Santa Monica College and confront his emotions. Neither is the late rapper’s son, CJ Wallace. CJ Wallace was five months old when he lost his father. CJ Wallace Over a Zoom video interview, Christopher “C.J.” Wallace, Jr. holds up his dad’s jersey that almost eclipses Wallace and the entire computer screen. Launched with longtime friend Willie Mack in March 2018, the company embraces a social movement that includes fighting for global cannabis legalization and criminal justice reform. That makes a move into the cannabis … On the … Being a gentleman. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. “We talk about everything we have been through”, he says. Wallace developed the brand, Think BIG, alongside his stepfather, music executive Todd Russaw and entrepreneur Willie Mack. One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix) (Featuring CJ Wallace And Faith Evans) (Download the song) Notorious by The Notorious B.I.G. C.J. [8] The brand aims to challenge the public's perception of cannabis by launching brands, products, and collaborations that emphasize "curiosity, creativity, contemplation, and healing". He is relaxed, soft-spoken, humble and light-hearted. The Notorious B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G.‘s son is continuing the rapper’s legacy with a new album, Ready To Dance, coming this September. He wary of trying to sound like Notorious BIG. “People look at me and say you had a lot to deal with.”. And while his dad's memory lives on through platinum records, grainy freestyle videos, dorm room posters, Instagram captions, and the … Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper and songwriter. He says we can expect a surprise from the album as he and his brother Jahad are not as front and centre as some might expect. “Obviously, the comedy and the jokiness, that was a given, I already knew and established after reading the script that Albert is the joke of the whole movie. CJ says he wasn’t initially interested in portraying the life of his father in the movie. that will fictionalise the investigations into the murders of the hip-hop stars. but he says it’s impossible: “The struggle is not the same. According to a source connected to the family, Christopher Wallace Jr., who goes by CJ… She did not directly inherit any asset from him but her son Christopher George Latore Wallace, widely known as Christopher Jordan Wallace aka C.J, got some of his father’s assets alongside his half-sister, T’yanna Wallace… Now stars in Justin Tipping's hip-hop driven coming-of-age tale 'Kicks', Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The brand also prioritizes social justice initiatives. I’m one to speak to that. “From girls to dealing with our own situation. The son of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names of Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was a well-known rapper and songwriter who tragically passed away … That seems to be Wallace’s forte. initiative. He reels off a list of things that have affected him, both positive and negative. Ginsburg said in 2017 that the moniker –a play on rapper Christopher Wallace’s nickname, “The Notorious B.I.G.“– was first used by a New York University Law student, and quickly stuck. “It was nerve-wracking. A year later, Wallace had a small role in Everything Must Go with will Ferrell. It’s not just the death of his biological father. And I guess that’s his way of still being here.”, He was exposed to his mother’s music, way before he heard one of his father’s albums. Notorious B.I.G. American rapper Biggie Smalls (also known as the Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, 1972 - 1997) holds a bottle of St. Ides malt liquor, New York, New York, 1995. “We had a studio in the basement in our house in Atlanta and my mom recorded most of her Faithfully album there. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C._J._Wallace_(actor)&oldid=1018497067, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 April 2021, at 11:01. On the 20th anniversary of his death, the mother of Biggie Smalls, aka Notorious B.I.G., says she knows who killed her son. “It’s a group, my brother, myself and this girl named Berekeley. His mother is Faith Evans, a great singer in her own right and the biggest influence on his life. I can’t rap about the stuff that my dad went through. Showing a maturity beyond his years, he says: “I don’t think it’s about escaping it. She’s a huge inspiration.”, Art has helped him to understand his father’s death. And that he says is down to the album he is creating with his younger half-brother Jahad, as part of the rap group CJ and Jahad. was shot an killed on March 9, 1997 on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue, in Los Angeles. is engaged to be married to his longtime boyfriend Jason Wertz. Originally born out of CJ… was not a man who was shy about his love of taking tokes of the marijuana smoke. Now stars … [5] In 2019, he played Amir in the third season of the VH1 slasher series Scream. I have a younger brother who is born with autism and not a lot of people know that. The son of the infamous rapper The Notorious BIG played his dad in the 2009 biopic. Wallace, "Rapper Notorious B.I.G and Faith Evans' Son Graduates From High School—See the Pics! T’yanna has a little brother, Christopher Wallace Jr. Born in October … But in the end he went with his gut instinct that Wallace was simply the best actor for the job. I used to really run from that. So much so that at one stage I tell him that he has a similar aura to Will Smith but without the bravado. I didn’t want to … Every time he comes into the scene, it’s punchline time.”. Notorious BIG's grown son, CJ Wallace, shared a new photo of himself looking radiant and showing off the striking resemblance he holds with the late rapper. What’s remarkable is how at peace with it all he seems. The experience opened his eyes to the legacy his dad left. And even today he can’t escape stories about the drive-by shooting that resulted in his dad’s death on 9 March 1997. Playback Speed Sound Remixer Beats1 Beats2 Beats3 Beats4 … Christopher is also the son of singer Faith Evans. passed away 21 years ago, but his children live on and continue the live in his legacy. He was just 12 at the time. In a recent interview, young Biggie aka Christpher "CJ" Wallace revealed that he initially wasn't too thrilled to play his father in Notorious. 's Son Just Launched a Weed Brand to Honor His Dad", "Cannabis Brand Founded by CJ Wallace to Honor His Late Father, Notorious B.I.G. Biggie's kids are all grown up now, as CJ, 24, has gone on to follow his family in being a creative, participating in movie and music projects - he even played a young Biggie in the Notorious … We are going to push her to the front and be the gentleman behind her. [9] In April 2019, the company launched a brand of cannabis called Frank White, named after Wallace's father's alter-ego,[10] as well as pre-rolls of cannabis in collaboration with Lowell Herb Co.[11], Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Notorious B.I.G.’s son CJ Wallace (Christopher Wallace Jr.) is keeping his father’s legacy alive with his Think B.I.G. And the other man he calls dad is music executive Todd Russaw. 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