To know me is to know that I’m a huge Biggie fan. Like, he’s the G.O.A.T. and there is no other, type fan.
That being said, I’ve purposely kept a safe distance from most things pertaining to his legacy throughout the years. Books, articles, movies, documentaries, podcasts, etc. were all placed at bay until recent years. My reasoning…there isn’t much more, we can learn that we already don’t know. Then came It Was All A Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him.
One reason I was excited about this book was the writer (Justin Tinsley) who is not even 40 years old and wanting to hear what a fresh perceptive would sound like from someone who necessarily “wasn’t” there. However, I knew this assignment for the writer was an uphill battle from the start.
The introduction was the perfect setup for the journey I was about to embark on. I quickly learned that this book was going to be an extensive lesson in American History woven between the pages of Christopher Wallace’s story, and its correlation to Black America. The book’s alternative focal point was the crack epidemic and how it altered the socioeconomic factors our nation faced.
This biography focuses heavily on the duration between BIGs start to stardom, and how he coped with fame, which are the page’s highlights. The book’s tagline “The World That Made Him” wasn’t for name’s sake purposes, because aside from the book tackling Regan’s Administration and the rise of violent crimes in the 80s. I’ve learned more about Suge Knight, Puffy and Tupac. For instance, did you know Tupac wasn’t his birth name? But the more interesting tale is the cosmic connection and friendship between PAC and BIGs.
The book’s material has all the makings of a bestseller with BIGs introspective story of ashy to classy. However, I suspect most Biggie fans won’t find the book as enjoyable as an avid reader would. Many readers might feel there’s a lot left to be desired. But because of Tinsley’s extensive research, it helped place hip-hop culture in this country into context and through the lens of one of the greats!
In the end, the book was a beautiful ode to commemorate the legacy and celebrate Christopher Wallace’s 50th birthday. Justin perfectly peeled backed the layers of the same story told time and time again and gave it a new life. He managed to add depth and new unheard antidotes to fulfill the reader’s journey. BIG’s early demise and short duration of a career have been groundbreaking, yet culturally important by lending itself as a blueprint for all of us achieving dreams!
