“Notorious B.I.G.” also known as “Biggy” and his given name Christopher Wallace will be played by Jamal Woolard, known as Gravy o n the mixtape circuit, in the upcoming film “Notorious”.
Thousands of men nationwide auditioned for the part, and many were excited about the possibility of playing this notorious rapper. The likes of Guerilla Black, Sean Kingston, and even Beanie Sigel auditioned for the part, but it was Jamal Woolard who landed the role.
Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, explained to the press that it was a challenge to find the right man to play her son in the film. She said she was honored so many men auditioned for the role and the reason Jamal Woolard was given the role was tanks to his “charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile that won my heart.” She concluded by noting, “… I am excited that he will bring Christopher’s character to the big screen.”
There are other recognizable names besides Jamal Woolard on this film. These include Angela Basset as Mrs. Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur.
The film with Jamal Woolard debuting as “Biggy” will be released in mid January of 2009. The director is George Tillman and filming began in New York this month.
The film will focus on the life of Notorious B.I.G., which tells the tale of his early involvement as a crack dealer in Brooklyn all the way to the top of the charts as a hip-hop artist. The film will address his unsolved murder and shed some light on the life of this revered hip-hop singer.
Jamal Woolard is obviously excited to be playing this role and he has firsthand experience with the music business on a daily basis. Many famous rappers like Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Young Jeezy, and Diddy have all worked with Jamal Woolard on the mixtape circuit. His wordplay is amazing and complemented by many, but there is always a shadow over his work thanks to a 2005 altercation between Jacki-O and Foxy Brown. Jamal Woolard was trying to record a song between the two artists and a fight broke out between them.
Jamal Woolard, aka Gravy, acknowledged his mistake of trying to record a song with two of the “hardest” in the business. He said, “It just got ugly.”
There are some similarities between Jamal Woolard and B.I.G, including involvement in violence. In 2006, Gravy was waiting outside Hot 97, a New York radio station, when he was shot in the buttocks. This shooting put his long awaited album, God Willing, on hold and it was never released.