It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him

Culture journalist Justin Tinsley's It Was All a Dream is "a deeply reported saga of the ephemeral, yet colorful, life of The Notorious B.I.G." (USA Today).

The Notorious B.I.G. was one of the most charismatic and talented artists of the 1990s. Born Christopher Wallace and raised in Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Biggie lived an almost archetypal rap life: young trouble, drug dealing, guns, prison, a giant hit record, the wealth and international superstardom that came with it, then an early violent death. Biggie released his first record, Ready to Die, in 1994, when he was only 22. Less than three years later, he was killed just days before the planned release of his second record, Life After Death.

A fresh, insightful telling of the life beyond the legend, It Was All a Dream is based on extensive interviews with those who knew and loved Biggie, including neighbors, friends, DJs, party promoters, and journalists. And it places Biggie's life in context, both within the history of rap but also the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including Caribbean immigration, the Reagan-era disinvestment in public education, street life, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and the booming, creative, and influential 1990s music industry. Justin Tinsley's biography is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind.

Author: Justin Tinsley
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 05/23/2023
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.60w x 1.10d
ISBN13: 9781419750328
ISBN10: 1419750321
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Entertainment & Performing Arts
- Biography & Autobiography | Music
- Biography & Autobiography | Rich & Famous

About the Author
Justin Tinsley is a senior sports and culture reporter with ESPN's Andscape who writes on the intersection of sports, race, and culture. He is a regular panelist on ESPN's daily sports debate talk show Around the Horn and is the creator and host of The King of Crenshaw, a 30 for 30 podcast on the late rapper, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist Nipsey Hussle. A graduate of Hampton University and Georgetown University, he lives in Washington, DC.