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Notorious B.I.G.’s Son CJ Makes a Rare Appearance at the Billboard Music Awards
Where has the time gone?!
Yesterday marked what would’ve been The Notorious B.I.G. — aka Biggie Smalls’ — 45th birthday. And to honor the big (no pun intended) milestone, the Billboard Music Awards invited his son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, to honor his late father.
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Biggie Smalls at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards.
The 20-year-old actor/rapper and only son of Biggie and Faith Evans was an infant when his father was shot and killed by an unknown gunman in a hit and run in LA back in 1997.
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“Good evening, everybody. I know my father is looking down on all of us tonight and all of this love and support,” he said while taking the stage with his father’s close pal, Diddy. “My sister and I will continue to carry on his name with tremendous pride, and live my life by his words.”
CJ’s biggest film credit to date was playing a younger version of his father in Notorious, but he also started his own rap group with his half-brother Joshua Jahad Russaw — the two plan to release their first album some time this year.
It was clear that sharing the stage with his late friend’s son was extremely special for Diddy, who took to Instagram to praise the younger Wallace.
“Representing my brother B.I.G. with [CJ Wallace]. Did y’all know that CJ is a brilliant actor? And a young and upcoming recording artist [who] I’m very, very proud of,” he gushed on Insta. “Love you boy!”
Of course, growing up without his father was difficult — as it would be for any child — but, thankfully, his mother’s second husband Todd Russaw made sure he was educated about his father and his impact on not only music, but also the world.
“It took a while to really realize the impact he’d made,” CJ explained in an interview with The Daily Beast. “But at an early age, my dad who raised me, Todd Russaw, schooled me that I needed to be aware of who my dad was and his impact, and to not be afraid of what I represent. He told me, ‘Don’t be ashamed of anything.’”
So sweet! We can’t wait to see the BIG things in CJ’s future!
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