5001 Flavors Vest Formerly Owned by The Notorious B.I.G.

This 5001 Flavors custom vest, part of a complete ensemble, was formerly owned by The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher George Latore Wallace, 1972-1997), also known as Biggie Smalls. 

“Ghetto Fabulous,” a term coined by The Notorious B.I.G. and fellow East Coast producer and rapper, Sean Puffy Combs, describes the fashion of rappers wearing high-end couture menswear, with particular focus on Italian designers like Versace and Giorgio Armani.  Bowler hats, silk shirts, and custom-made, double-breasted, pin-stripe suits typified the fashion of Biggie, Puffy, and other rappers in the 1990s, exemplified by this outfit in our collection. 5001 Flavors is a Harlem, NY based award-winning fashion company specializing in film, music video and television wardrobe styling for hip-hop artists and celebrities. Established in 1992, husband-and-wife Guy Sr. Wood and Sharene Wood, the duo gained “behind the scenes” notoriety by creating iconic fashions including designing extraordinary leather ensembles. 5001 Flavors has over 25 years of operating their custom-clothing and accessories, fashion styling and manufacturing as a Black owned family business.

Biggie Smalls initially had no plans to pursue a music career despite training under jazz saxophonist, Donald Harrison, where he learned about the diction and phrasing of scat singing, directly informing his MC style. When asked about rapping as a teen in his Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood he said: It was just fun hearing myself on tape over beats. Yet, after a short stint in jail in his late teens, he made his first demo tape, taking the name Biggie Smalls as a nod to his childhood nickname, Big, and a character in the film Let’s Do It Again (1975). In 1991, he was forced to change his name to The Notorious B.I.G. after a lawsuit was brought by the actor, Calvin Lockhart, who portrayed the character of Biggie Smalls in the 1975 film.

Briefly signed to Uptown Records by Sean Puffy Combs, he left the company when Combs started his own company, Bad Boy Records. His first recording was from that short time at Uptown on Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” (1992). In June of 1993, Bad Boy released his first single as a solo artist, “Party and Bullshit.” Although his career was short, from 1993 to 1997, and he was only 24 when he died, Biggie remains a cultural icon. His freshman album Ready to Die continues to influence music and artists with its insightful storytelling and nihilistic lyrics. He was murdered just weeks before the release of his sophomore effort, aptly named, Life After Death. In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognizing his enduring influence more than 20 years after his death.