Legacy of DeBarge

Christopher George Latore Wallace, known professionally as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper and songwriter. Rooted in the East Coast hip-hop and gangsta rap traditions, he is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive, laidback lyrical delivery, offsetting his lyrics' often grim content. His music was semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality but also of debauchery and celebration.

Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Virginia Beach, Virginia-based record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, Joseph "Street" Stonestreet, and Teddy Riley. The group released four albums with Interscope Records between 1994 and 2003. They achieved moderate commercial success leading up to their 1996 single "No Diggity", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.

Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer-songwriter. He signed with Jive Records to release his debut album, The Love Experience (2005), which entered the Billboard 200, while his second album, Love Behind the Melody (2008), peaked at number five on the chart and yielded critical acclaim. The latter's first two singles, "Woman" and "Customer", both entered the Billboard Hot 100; the former was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. His third album, The Love & War MasterPeace (2010), saw continued praise and peaked within the Billboard 200's top ten, serving as his final release with Jive.

Ready to Die is the debut studio album by the American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and distributed by Arista Records. The album features productions by Bad Boy founder Sean Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. It was recorded from 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only album he released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album Life After Death in 1997. The album features a guest appearance from Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man.