A teen has gone viral after a video showed him dressed up as The Notorious B.I.G. for Halloween.
The video, which was shared on social media roughly a few days ahead of Oct. 31, has amassed over 8 million views as of this writing. It shows the teen strutting in signature Timberland boots and a denim set that Biggie himself might’ve worn back in the day — complete with a crown on his head.
The iconic image of Biggie with his crown tilted on the side of his head was taken by Barron Claiborne as part of the "KONY (King of New York)" photoshoot. The photo was used for the 1997 cover of Rap Pages magazine.
According to Artnet, the crown worn by The Notorious B.I.G. in the portrait was bought by Claiborne for a mere six dollars. "This crown is a novelty item; I bought it at a place on Broadway called Gordon's," Claiborne told the New York Post. "Without Biggie, the crown would not be worth [six figures]. I only paid six bucks for it."
Signed three days before his death, Biggie's crown was auctioned by Sotheby’s in its inaugural Hip Hop auction in 2020. The item was estimated to be sold for $200,000 to $300,000, but the winning bid turned out to be $594,750.
"With the tragic events that unfolded just days after the photoshoot, this image of a crowned Notorious B.I.G. became much more than a portrait – the image transformed Biggie Smalls into an aristocratic or saint like figure, forever immortalized as not only the King of New York, but a king of hip hop music and one of the greatest artists of all time," Claiborne said, per CNN.
Nearly three decades after the photoshoot took place, this image of Biggie continues to live on.