Lent 2022, Day 8: Life After Death.
Twenty-five years ago today, rapper Christopher “Biggie Smalls/ Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace died in a drive-by shooting. I remember that Sunday morning pretty well. Daddy was driving Jos and me to church when we heard the news bulletin on 1010 WINS.
“Wait, what? What did that reporter just say?” I asked to everyone, and no one. Dad turned up the volume, and my jaw dropped. Biggie had been out in Los Angeles promoting his latest album, Life After Death, and had just left one party and was headed to another around 12:45 AM. Stopped at a red light, another car rolled up next to Biggie’s vehicle and then began firing. Hit multiple times, Biggie was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 1:15. Jos and I stared at each other in disbelief. Coming just six months after Tupac’s similar demise, we were stunned silent.
Although neither of my parents were really rap fans, they felt sad for us. My dad, a longtime fan of The Beatles, had been deeply hurt when John Lennon was killed in 1980. My mom cried for days mourning the loss of her teenage crush, Marvin Gaye, when he was murdered by his dad in 1984.
More years have now passed since the Notorious B.I.G.’s death than all the years of his life.
He has millions of fans today who weren’t even born at the time of he died. Through his music, his voice has continued to have life after death.
Psalm 90:12 says:
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
(New Living Translation)
Time is truly the most precious resource we have. Consider how you’re using it.