In the wake of the funeral of his mother Voletta Wallace, a deal has been made forging a partnership between the late Biggie Smalls’ estate and Primary wave.
According to Billboard, Primary Wave announced a major deal with the estate of The Notorious B.I.G., acquiring a stake in the rapper’s music publishing, recordings and certain rights to his name, image and likeness on March 20th. While the exact financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, reports suggest that the overall value of Biggie Smalls’ estate is estimated at $200 million. The agreement comes just months after Voletta Wallace reportedly reached the deal with Primary Wave shortly before her passing in February.
Biggie has continuously been regarded as one of most influential figures in Hip-Hop history in the decades following his 1997 shooting death. His catalog includes some of rap’s most iconic works, such as Ready to Die, Life After Death and Born Again. Together, these albums have sold over 28 million copies in the U.S. and have consistently appeared on the Billboard charts. Primary Wave, known for its extensive portfolio of artists including Whitney Houston, Nirvana and Prince, plans to collaborate closely with the estate to ensure Biggie’s legacy continues to thrive. The company’s focus will include licensing his music for biopics and other media projects.