Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G., was a rap artist who was shot and killed on March 9, 1997. He was only 24 years old. Wallace was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, on May 21, 1972. He first rose to fame as a rapper with the group Junior M.A.F.I.A. His debut solo album, Ready to Die, was released in 1994 and was certified platinum. On the evening of March 9, 1997, Wallace attended the Soul Train Awards in Los Angeles. After the show, he visited the Petersen Automotive Museum and then headed to the VIBE magazine party at the Hollywood nightclub Club 662. Wallace was in the club's parking lot, talking on a cell phone, when a gunman approached and shot him four times. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Wallace's death remains a mystery, and no one has ever been arrested in connection with the killing. He left behind his wife, Faith Evans, and two children.