Primary Wave Finalizes Deal For Biggie Smalls Catalog

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On Thursday, it was confirmed that Primary Wave has purchased a portion of The Notorious B.I.G.’s iconic music catalog from his estate.

The agreement was finalized recently, following an initial report by The Hollywood Reporter regarding its formation. Importantly, Primary Wave chose not to reveal the specifics of the financial aspects of the deal. According to earlier reports in The Hollywood Reporter, Biggie’s publishing rights were estimated to fetch around $100 million, while his master rights were potentially worth between 30 and 50 million dollars. Sources confirmed that this agreement grants Primary Wave a 50% stake in both rights, as well as control over Biggie’s name and image.

Last month, Voletta Wallace passed away, and according to the Wall Street Journal’s report, she finalized an agreement shortly before she died.

Known as one of the greatest and most impactful rappers in music history, Biggie Smalls, also known as Christopher Wallace, produced popular tracks like “Big Poppa,” “Juicy” and “Hypnotize.” His 1994 debut album, “Ready to Die, is often hailed as one of the best albums ever made. Tragically, Biggie was shot dead in Los Angeles at the age of 24 in 1997. Two weeks after his death, the sequel to “Ready to Die,” titled “Life After Death, ” was released and included hits such as “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems.

Following her son’s passing, Voletta Wallace has been responsible for managing his estate and ensuring his enduring influence within hip hop as an iconic figure. Through the estate, she oversaw the release of the posthumous albums “Born Again” in 1999 and “Duets: The Final Chapter” in 2005. Moreover, she served as a producer on the biopic “Notorious,” which was released in 2009.

For some time now, Primary Wave has been quite busy in the field of acquiring music catalogs, purchasing rights to iconic musicians such as Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Bob Marley, and Luther Vandross among others.

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2025-03-20 23:24