Lincoln Center to honor late rapper Notorious BIG with orchestral tribute

ByDarla Miles WABC logo

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Lincoln Center to honor Notorious BIG with orchestral tributeLincoln Center will honor The Notorious B.I.G., with an orchestral tribute as part of its "Summer for the City" program.

UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Lincoln Center will honor the late rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls and the Notorious B.I.G., with an orchestral tribute as part of its "Summer for the City" program.

The event will be held Friday at 7:30 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and will feature Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and The Originals.

"Even before I started performing hip hop music, I would be arranging it and rehearsing it with my friends," Atwood-Ferguson said. "When I think of Biggie, I think of someone who means so much to so many people."

Atwood-Ferguson has proven his versatility as an arranger and earned respect in the hip hop community with his recent concert commemoration for the late producer J Dilla.

New York City is preparing to honor the late rapper Christopher Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls and the Notorious B.I.G., who would have turned 50 on May 21.

The Lincoln Center premiere, supported by The Estate of the Notorious B.I.G., will feature a concert symphony performance of his most well known songs from the multi-platinum album "Ready to Die" and the 11-times Platinum "Life After Death."

It will also feature special guests and an extensive live set from regular B.I.G. collaborators.

And in true Lincoln Center form, the suggested attire is being called "creative black tie."

"I'm so elated, so happy," Atwood-Ferguson said. "I have a great feeling about it. But just how daunting it feels, and I take that so serious, deadly serious."

New York City's legendary DJ collective The Originals -- featuring Clark Kent, Stretch Armstrong, Rich Medina and Tony Touch -- will add their incredible musical curation to compliment this iconic evening.

Wallace grew up in Central Brooklyn and released two Grammy-nominated studio records during his career, which was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a still-unsolved murder.