Notorious

Notorious is a biographical drama about Christopher Wallace, the Brooklyn rapper known as The Notorious B.I.G. Raised by his mother in Brooklyn, Wallace earns money on the streets as a young man before a stretch in prison pushes him toward music. He joins forces with aspiring producer Sean "Puffy" Combs and records for Bad Boy Records, and his first album becomes a major success. His friendship with West Coast star Tupac Shakur later breaks down after Shakur is shot, setting the two coasts against each other as Wallace's career and his relationships with the women in his life grow more complicated.

George Tillman Jr. directed the film, his second feature after Men of Honor, from a screenplay by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker. Jamal Woolard plays Wallace, with Derek Luke as Combs, Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim, Anthony Mackie as Shakur, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans and Angela Bassett as Wallace's mother, Voletta. The cast runs to twenty-two credited performers.

Released in January 2009, the film took about 43 million dollars worldwide. Audiences have been more receptive than critics: it holds 6.7 out of 10 on IMDb from over 45,000 votes and 7 out of 10 on TMDB from 825 votes, against a critics' rating of 5.6 out of 10 from 144 reviews.