See Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Nasty Boy’ Reinterpreted as Family Sitcom
March 9 is a sad day for Notorious B.I.G. fans. It’s the anniversary of his 1997 death to a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. But producer David Catalano has given the late rap star’s followers a reason to smile.
On Sunday, Catalano released “Nasty Boy,” the sixth episode of his hilarious webisode series “The Smalls Family.” For the new segment, characters Tess Strohm (Katie Smalls), James Hook (Big Poppa) and Jill Bresnahan (Step Momma Smalls) transform Biggie’s boastful freaky tales into a modern-family storyline about parents’ concerns about their children’s choice of friends.
[Related: How Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics Became Web Sensation, ‘The Smalls Family’ Creator Explains]
Catalano opens “The Smalls Family” remake with the third verse of the song. The characters use the exact lyrics with minimal changes. In the beginning of the video, the happy-go-lucky Big Poppa arrives home to pick up his wife and daughter for their weekend getaway, saying, “Ladies, my Mercedes, hold four in the back, two if they’re fat.”
WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LYRICS
The mood quickly becomes tense when Step Momma Smalls criticizes Katie for her “gaudy jeans” that “look like they painted on.” A sarcastic Katie quickly becomes flippant, responding, “I didn’t ask thee, leave it up to me.”
The tension continues in the second scene when they re-interpret the second verse of the song. Again, Big Poppa tries to keep things fun and lighthearted (“I remember we went to Tennessee”) before stepmom and daughter start feuding.
[Related: See More “The Smalls Family” episodes]
When Katie refers to all the “mad messages” on her phone, Step Momma Smalls takes an opportunity to complain, “Is it that bitch named Symone?” More sarcasm ensues.
It’s amazing to see how the characters completely change the meaning of the original lyrics so effortlessly. Definitely a fun watch.
Last year, Catalano also released “The Smalls Family” takes on other Biggie classics “Big Poppa,” “Going Back to Cali,” “Unbelievable,” “Warning” and “Party & Bulls–t.”