New York City is celebrating The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th birthday with multiple tributes to the late rapper.
The Empire State Building will pay homage to The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die LP on May 21, which would’ve been his 50th birthday. The landmark’s lights will change to red and white with a crown in its mast to honor Biggie’s classic album.
Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace, his children and friends will be on hand for a special ceremony at the Empire State Building on May 20. Lil Cease and Lil Kim are two of the notable names confirmed to attend the event.
The Barclays Center in Brooklyn will honor The Notorious B.I.G. by displaying a video montage of his records on the oculus above the arena’s entrance on May 21. That same day, the New York City MTA will release a special edition MetroCard at three subway stations near his old stomping grounds in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Amazon Music and its [RE]DISCOVER brand will orchestrate a station takeover as part of The Notorious B.I.G. tribute. [RE]DISCOVER also teamed with nonprofit Beautify Earth to unveil Biggie murals in every borough of New York City.
May 21 won’t be the end of the celebration either. The Lincoln Center will host an orchestral tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. on June 10. The black-tie event is free to the public and will be livestreamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.
Additionally, Bad Boy/Atlantic/Rhino Records will release a vinyl version of The Notorious B.I.G.’s album Life After Death on June 10. The 25th-anniversary box set features 8 LPs and a booklet with rare photos, liner notes and stories from the team who worked on the album.
The set costs $179.98. The collection includes 12-inch copies of the songs “Hypnotize,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Sky’s The Limit” and “Nasty Boy.”