The last six months of The Notorious B.I.G.‘s life was filled with many highs and lows, from a near-fatal car accident and the death of his onetime friend Tupac Shakur to the impending release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album Life After Death. The rapper died in the early morning hours of March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles after attending the Soul Train Music Awards the night of March 7. Before the award show that day, as he was enjoying what would be the final hours of his life, the 24-year-old rapper decided to get his first tattoo.
The Notorious B.I.G. spent his last days in Los Angeles
In September 1996, The Notorious B.I.G. was in a serious car accident that left his leg broken in three places and relegated him to using a cane for the rest of his life. He spent months recovering in a rehab center in New Jersey. During that time, he spoke to God more than he ever had before, and developed a deeper faith that brought him closer to God.
By March 1997, he made a full recovery and was preparing for the release of his second studio album Life After Death. He went to Los Angeles a few days before the Soul Train Music Awards, held on March 7, to soak up the sun and enjoy the city he loved, despite him not being wanted there by many people following Tupac Shakur‘s death just six months prior.
In March 1997, days before his death, he gave an interview with the Los Angeles Times where he reflected on his journey from drug dealer to the top of the hip-hop heap. He spoke about his first tattoo he’d gotten that week, inked on his right arm. It was Psalm 27 from the Bible: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the truth of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and foes, came up on me to bite my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”
The Notorious B.I.G. got his first tattoo, a meaningful Bible verse, before he died
Biggie told the LA Times about how he was living like a rockstar in the past, but his car accident six months prior made him reevaluate everything in his life. “I was living like that for a second, but I had that car accident,” he said. “I was in the hospital for two and three months and it gave me a lot of time to think about my life and where it was headed. I said to myself, ‘B.I.G., you’re moving too fast. When you get back on your feet, it’s time for this [s***] to change.'”
He went on to speak about his tattoo, which was still healing on his right forearm.
“This is to reassure myself that whatever goes wrong, no matter how bad things seem, God is right there for you, you know?” he mused. “As long as you believe in him and his strength — all these jealous people, all these sharks . . . He’ll stop all of that. He’s going to find the road for me to take to avoid all of those obstacles, and take me where I’m going.”
“What I’m doing now is right. I’m taking care of my mother, my kids, and my peers,” he continued. “It’s legal, and I’m just using a talent that I have to express myself and get paid, so it’s only right that I follow that righteous road.”
He died the following night
When The Notorious B.I.G. took the stage at the Soul Train Music Awards to present the award for Best Female R&B Soul Single, the Los Angeles audience was none too pleased with Biggie being there. He was booed as he presented the award to Toni Braxton for her song “You’re Makin’ Me High.”
The following night, on March 8, Biggie attended a Soul Train Music Awards after-party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The fire department shut down the party shortly after midnight on March 9, and Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting outside less than an hour later. His death, similar to Tupac’s six months before, rocked the music world as another legend of hip-hop was gone.
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