Two new NYC murals of Biggie mark the 25th anniversary of his passing

Two new works of public art in NYC depict the one-and-only Notorious B.I.G. on the 25th anniversary of his passing. 

Graffiti artists Eli Salome-Diaz, Carlo Niece and Benny Guerra unveiled both murals yesterday on the corner of St. James Place and Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy, just a few yards from where the artist grew up in Clinton Hill. Find both colorful pictures on the wall of a former liquor store that is now a pharmacy. It's said that the musical legend frequently spent time at the location before his still-unsolved 1997 shooting in L.A. at the age of 24.

The artists revealed that they were actually asked to work on the two murals just a week ago so that they could be finished in time for the anniversary of Biggie's murder.

"We want this to be a representation of hope for the community at 951 Fulton Street," the artists said during the unveiling. "Biggie and his lyrics were a part of what help make him a pillar in Brooklyn."

This isn't the first time that Biggie's legacy is honored through art in Brooklyn. Murals dedicated to the rapper have been popping up across Bushwick, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Prospect Heights for years now. 

Attendees also took the chance to comment on gun violence at the event. "[Biggie] put Brooklyn on his back like no one else could and we lost him to gun violence," public advocate Jumaane Williams said to News 12. "And it's still here. I do want to make sure there's responsible music. I want to be clear about that but the answer to that is to change what is happening on the ground so people are not using that violence to communicate. Also, we need to stop the guns from flowing into our communities in the first place." 

And lest you thought the attention to the musical legend was going to die down as the years went by, think again: artist Salome-Diaz also mentioned that the group of creatives is planning on painting yet another mural, this one in Williamsburg, commemorating what would have been Biggie's 50th birthday this upcoming May.