"Notorious" The Movie

The movie "Notorious" hits the big screen this weekend, highlighting the tragic life of Brooklyn hip hop legend Biggie Smalls and bringing notoriety to his old neighborhood. NY1's Borough reporter Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.

The corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place in Bedford, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn is relatively quiet these days. But on March 18, 1997, hundreds came out to that corner to bid farewell to one of their own - Christopher Wallace, the rapper who became known as the Notorious B.I.G.

"This is where he's from. Right there, right on the corner, St. James and Fulton. It's where B.I.G. comes from. Right here," said resident Gerald Powell.

That street corner takes center stage in the big new movie about the slain rapper's life, "Notorious," as well as the streets of Bed-Stuy which inspired Wallace to rhyme.

"Coming back to Brooklyn to make this film was great. Just to recreate what it was like in the '90s during that time was absolutely incredible," said director George Tillman.

Making sure Brooklyn and Biggie were portrayed correctly was Voletta Wallace. She produced the movie and hand picked Bed-Stuy resident Jamal Woolward to play her son.

"Ms. Wallace was there every day. She made sure everything was right," said Woolward. "Just doing my thing, there was no pressure to it. You know, we got that swagger. B-K [Brooklyn], baby!"

Biggie rapped about Brooklyn and his mother made sure the film had its own premiere in the borough.

"Christopher was Brooklyn all the way," said Voletta Wallace.

The rapper's son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, is now 12 years old.

"He had a gift and that gift was shown to everyone," said the boy.

Brooklyn residents say they won't forget the Notorious B.I.G, who died at just 24 years old.

Some fans waited in line for hours in the below-freezing temperatures to watch the premiere in Brooklyn Heights.

"I'm from Brooklyn, born and raised, not too far from where he grew up at, so yes, I'm a big fan of his," said one local.

"It was worth it, to tell you the truth you know. Biggie's a legend, you know, and he's Jamaican, I'm Jamaican myself, you know. We just come out here to show some love," said another.

Such sentiment was shown on the streets back in 1997 and captured again on film in 2009.

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