It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him

The Notorious B.I.G., one of the most charismatic and talented artists of the 1990s, was born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Justin Tinsley's It Was All a Dream is a fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend, based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie. It places Biggie's life in context, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming 1990s music industry.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 22 June 2023
Publisher: Abrams

The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, lived an almost archetypal rap life. He released his first record, Ready to Die, in 1994, when he was only 22. Less than three years later, he was killed just days before the planned release of his second record, Life After Death. Journalist Justin Tinsley's It Was All a Dream is a fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend. It is based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie, including neighbors, friends, DJs, party promoters, and journalists. It places Biggie's life in context, both within the history of rap and the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming, creative, and influential 1990s music industry. This is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind.

The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, lived an almost archetypal rap life. He released his first record, Ready to Die, in 1994, when he was only 22. Less than three years later, he was killed just days before the planned release of his second record, Life After Death. Journalist Justin Tinsley's It Was All a Dream is a fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend. It is based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie, including neighbors, friends, DJs, party promoters, and journalists. It places Biggie's life in context, both within the history of rap and the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming, creative, and influential 1990s music industry. This is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 141 x 222 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781419750328