The Notorious BIG's life story will be told in a new Netflix documentary. Getty Images
The Notorious BIG's life story will be told in a new Netflix documentary. Getty Images
The Notorious BIG's life story will be told in a new Netflix documentary. Getty Images
The Notorious BIG's life story will be told in a new Netflix documentary. Getty Images

'Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell': what we know about The Notorious BIG documentary


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

One of the year's biggest hip-hop releases will be on the small screen.

Netflix has revealed the trailer for Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, the anticipated documentary on late US rapper The Notorious BIG, who was known by fans as Biggie.

Premiering on the platform on Monday, March 1, the production was completed with the support of the artist's – real name Christopher Wallace – estate.

Mother Voletta Wallace and collaborator, now turned entertainment mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs are listed as executive producers and are also interviewed for the film.

The news comes four years after the documentary was first announced in 2017, under the different title Notorious BIG: One More Chance.

In an official statement at the time, Voletta said the documentary would celebrate Biggie's contribution to hip-hop and US youth culture.

“It brings so much joy to my heart that my son Christopher’s music has made such an impact on the music community,” she said.

“His stories have positively inspired so many young men and women over the years, and still influencing the youth all over the world today.”

With the documentary's promotional campaign under way, here are four other things to know about Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.

1. A new way of telling the story

A lot of screen time has been dedicated to the rapper, with the 2009 film Notorious and the 2018 Netflix drama Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious BIG looking at Biggie's rise to stardom and his death in 1997 at the age of 24.

As the first documentary produced with the blessing of his estate, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell should provide a fresh perspective into the life of the artist.

2. It goes back to Biggie’s roots

Previous film and literature about Biggie’s life often focused on the heady days of fame and his tragic demise, but what is less explored is how he came to be.

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell aims to shed light on that aspect, and in turn tell a story about how hip-hop flourished in the New York borough of Brooklyn, where Biggie was born.

"We were immersed in Brooklyn in the '70s through the '90s," director Emmett Malloy told Rolling Stone.

"It is easy to see how much Brooklyn has changed since Christopher Wallace was a kid, but it’s also clear that many things about being a young black man in this country have not changed.”

3. It will be close and personal

A lot of hip-hop documentaries, such as 2017's Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine tribute The Defiant Ones, come packed with star-studded guests.

The new Biggie documentary instead focuses more on quality than quantity. Since the film looks at the rapper's early days, the production is built around three in-depth interviews with mother Voletta, Combs and childhood friend Damian "D Roc" Butler.

Such an approach should give the film a certain winning intimacy.

4. The title has its own story

The film's title is inspired by the much-loved Biggie track I Got a Story to Tell.

As part of his final release, the 1997 double album Life After Death, the track details an encounter with the partner of a US basketball player. With Biggie dying two weeks before the album's release, rumours still continue to swirl on who the celebrity athlete was.

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000

On sale: now  

if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.

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While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDamian%20Szifron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Ben%20Mendelsohn%2C%20Ralph%20Ineson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
RESULTS

Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series

Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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