.

Biggie Mistrial Declared

Late rapper's family will pursue another suit against LAPD

July 7, 2005 12:00 AM ET

A mistrial has been declared in the wrongful death case brought by the family of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, against the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD.

The judge announced the ruling Wednesday after an anonymous tip led to the discovery of several documents relevant to the Brooklyn rapper's 1997 shooting that were withheld by the LAPD. Wallace's family has claimed that a number of LAPD officers had relationships with gang members and sometimes provided security for Death Row Records, home to B.I.G. hip-hop rival Tupac Shakur.

Along with producer Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "P. Diddy") and his Bad Boy label, Brooklyn native B.I.G. recorded his debut, 1994's Ready to Die, and 1997's Life After Death (released weeks after his death), both hit-packed hip-hop milestones. He was killed when shots were fired into his car on a Los Angeles road shortly after midnight on March 9, 1997.

Perry Sanders Jr., the attorney for Wallace's mother Voletta and widow (and R&B singer) Faith Evans, announced that they would proceed with another lawsuit to connect the killing with LAPD corruption, saying, "We're about to peel the onion back to its rotten core."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

prev
Music Main Next

blog comments powered by Disqus
Daily Newsletter

Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
marketing partners.

X

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Song Stories

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette | 1973

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."

More Song Stories entries »