Decades Later, Biggie Smalls' Murder Still Shrouded in Conspiracy Theories

The death of Christopher Wallace, famously known as Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G., marked a pivotal moment in hip-hop history. Yet, more than two decades since his untimely demise, the circumstances surrounding his murder remain shrouded in mystery. The lack of closure has fueled a plethora of conspiracy theories that refuse to fade away.

In March 1997, Biggie was gunned down while leaving a party in Los Angeles. An unidentified gunman opened fire on the rapper’s car, fatally wounding him (per Fox 5).

Despite extensive investigations by law enforcement, the case remains unsolved, adding to the intrigue that surrounds the incident. Biggie’s murder came just a year after Tupac was killed, leaving many to believe the shootings were connected.

However, Tupac’s murder has since been solved. In 2023, Duane "Keffe D" Davis was charged with orchestrating the attack, according to CBS News. Various interviews and Duane’s memoir prompted the investigation which led to Duane’s arrest.

Unfortunately, Biggie’s murder remains unsolved. In the years since the “Hypnotize” MC was killed, fans have come up with some strange conspiracy theories about his death.

One of the biggest conspiracies surrounding Biggie’s death involved corrupt LAPD officers. In 2002, investigator Randall Sullivan looked into the case and concluded that Biggie’s death was orchestrated by then-LAPD Officer David A. Mack, who tapped Suge Knight to hire a hitman.

However, Randall’s claims were discredited after the informant revealed that his retelling of events was based on hearsay. In documents obtained by The Los Angeles Times, the informant – known as Psycho Mike – admitted that he did not have concrete evidence to prove that Suge or the LAPD were involved with Biggie’s death.

One prevailing theory suggests that Biggie's murder was a result of the infamous East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry. The period saw Biggie's label, Bad Boy Records, face off against Tupac Shakur's label, Death Row Records.

Tupac had been killed in a similar drive-by shooting six months earlier in Las Vegas, leading many to believe that Biggie's murder was an act of retaliation. Tupac’s murder saga ended in 2023 after a suspect was arrested, ending the decades-old theory.

Some speculate that Biggie's murder was spearheaded by figures within the music industry itself, particularly by members of Bad Boy Records. Diddy’s former bodyguard, Gene Deal, claimed in an interview that somebody from their crew helped facilitate the shooting.

“Puff didn’t have it on his car,” Deal said, in reference to a sticker he believes was used to mark Biggie’s car.

He added: “They all put up to do certain things. Because they didn’t put it on Puffy’s car — somebody in our crew wanted them to know that Big was in that vehicle.”

Deal’s speculation has never been proven to be true, but that has not stopped internet sleuths from latching on to the theory.

One of the biggest conspiracies about Biggie’s death suggests that he is not dead at all. There is no information to support this claim, but alleged Tupac sightings have cast doubt on Biggie’s murder.

In 2018, a man claimed that Tupac was alive and well – having relocated to Somalia, per The Mirror. The rapper was also allegedly spotted in Sweden, Cuba, and New York, according to ABC 7, but the sightings were never confirmed.