Biggie Smalls, famously known as The Notorious B.I.G, was a massive figure in hip hop during the 1990s and known worldwide as one of the most legendary rappers ever to step up to the mic.
Alongside Diddy, as part of Bad Boy Entertainment, the rapper (real name Christopher Wallace) became the world’s highest-grossing, best-selling hip hop artist. Despite his record-breaking success, he found himself at the centre of a toxic feud that would ultimately lead to his untimely death.
The Death Row vs Bad Boy feud saw a misunderstanding between Biggie Smalls and 2pac turn into a destructive, bloody horror show that was bigger than the music. Death Row (the label 2pac represented) was home to many artists, including Dr Dre, Nate Dogg and the iconic Snoop Dogg.
Even though Snoop Dogg was part of the Death Row family, he always expressed his affinity for Biggie Smalls and Bad Boy Entertainment. Even during the ’90s, he always proclaimed that he had respect for Biggie Smalls and on one occasion (during an Angie Martinez interview), even said he wanted to do a song with Wallace.
Ever since, Snoop Dogg has continued to declare that he and Biggie Smalls were always amicable and close. However, in an interview with The Art Of Dialogue podcast, Diddy’s old bodyguard, Gene Deal, exposed that, in reality, Biggie Smalls hated Snoop Dogg and never had respect for him.
Although it is known that both Snoop Dogg and Biggie Smalls met up in Atlanta after 2pac’s death in 1996 to put to bed any issues, as far as Gene Deal is concerned, that rendezvous was meaningless and completely fake.
Explaining how Wallace showed his true feelings towards Snoop by his actions, Deal explained, “Lil’ Cease said they was in Cali for two months…what picture you seen of Snoop and Big while they was out there? What restaurant they went to meet up? When they get together and smoke? Big like to smoke, Snoop like to smoke! When did Snoop come over the studio and smoke one L with him?”
He continued to detail Biggie’s sentiments, “Let’s keep it a buck, B.I.G got in that studio and said, ‘Why this n*gga Snoop keep calling me? I’m not telling this n*gga where I’m at!'” According to Gene Deal, Biggie Smalls did not trust Snoop Dogg and the two rappers had no kind of friendship before his murder in 1997.
Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg declared that he and Wallace were good friends and, in an interview with the Drink Champs podcast, even went as far as to reveal that his children and Diddy’s children have been best friends since they were seven years old.
Irrespective of what Gene Deal says, Snoop will evidently continue to speak his truth, which is that he and Biggie Smalls were friends until the day he died. Former Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil Cease has confirmed Snoop’s version of events, so the truth will remain unknown.
You can watch the full Gene Deal interview in the video below.
