Diddy
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Lil' Kim has made it known that she's not happy with her portrayal in the Biggie biopic "Notorious."

The pint-size rapper said her and Big's relationship was deeper than what was reflected in the film, complaining that the actress who portrays her, Naturi Naughton, was terrible. And she said Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, and the late star's wife, Faith Evans, are behind it all.

Lil' Cease, Wallace, Evans and the film's writers have refuted Kim's criticisms in various interviews. Evans told MTV News that Kim's badmouthing was "just sad." And though Big's mom told Hip Hop Weekly that Kim should "get a life," she also said she felt "bad" for Kim after seeing the film.

Now, however, Diddy and Junior M.A.F.I.A. cohort Damian "D-Roc" Butler have entered the fray to defend Kim. The two spoke up in a video blog on Diddy's YouTube page on Friday morning (January 30).

Diddy said Kim called him and asked the Bad Boy CEO to consider how she feels about how she was represented in the film.

"The only thing that I can say about the movie ... that was great from their relationship is that he really respected her as an artist, as an MC and was into her like that," Diddy explained. "All the other extra stuff, it was a movie. And Kim will have her chance, her own movie will come out there. Give Kim her chance. Don't believe what you saw in the movie; it wasn't only about that. She was with us, that was our queen. She'll always be the queen. She got every right to feel that way. The movie is really about Big. Don't focus on none of our parts; focus on Big as the man."

In "Notorious," Kim's character is shown in several lewd sex scenes with Biggie and also in a physical confrontation with the Bad Boy rapper.

D-Roc, who has spoken very little in public about the movie, said the real-life Kim has more depth than her character in the movie does. "She's more than that, and you see that when you meet her," he said.

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Faith Evans
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — If there were ever a singer who didn't need today's popular vocal enhancer, the Auto-Tune, it would be the great Faith Evans. The former Bad Girl, who blossomed into fame during the mid- to late 1990s alongside her husband, the Notorious B.I.G., and labelmates such as Mase, 112, Craig Mack, Total and Carl Thomas, told us she's ready to end a four-year hiatus with a new LP in 2009.

"I just got off the phone with Easy Mo Bee [the Grammy-winning producer behind Bad Boy classics such as 'Flava in Ya Ear' and 'Warning'], and I think I'm gonna go to the studio tonight," she said last week in NYC, where she was attending the "Notorious" premiere and doing press for her late husband's biopic.

"I'm not ready to record a whole album tonight, but I'm back in that mode," she continued. "I've been taking a lot of meetings, and I've been enjoying my freedom, not being tied down to anything other than my family. I'm ready to record again. I've been hesitant to get into any type of record-deal situation. The offers have been coming in. Through the process of elimination, I'll pick the one that's right for me. But I'm gonna begin recording soon and have an album out this year. Sooner than later."

Evans said she's used her time off to be a wife and raise her four children. Her family comes first, and even with a return to making music, she doesn't want to be tied down by a deal. Whichever label can tailor-make a situation suitable to the time she needs for her family will more than likely win her over — at the right price, of course.

"I'm not trying to be in any long-term contractual situation anymore," Evans offered. "I need to be able to say, 'I need a break.' "

While a return to Bad Boy Entertainment as an artist doesn't seem likely at this point (Evans left in 2004 to go to Capital and release 2005's The First Lady), Faith will be in the studio with Diddy.

"I would certainly work with Puff," the Newark, New Jersey, native, who now lives in Los Angeles, explained. "Even on my last album, when I was sitting here recording, I made it a point to sit with him and play my joints. I respect his opinion. I let him know: 'I'm still the same girl who you asked to sign as soon as I got out of the booth.' We definitely will work together again. I'll be going in Daddy's house, like, 'Who's up in here working? Gimme some beats. I need some beats.' "

A new record isn't the only project Faith is looking forward to. The Grammy winner hopes to knock 'em off their feet in Hollywood.

"I developed a synopsis for a sitcom, which is based loosely on my life," described the singer, who released her autobiography earlier this year. "With my book, I was so nervous, I was trying to get the publisher to hold off on the release once Ms. Wallace started to get the stuff rolling [with 'Notorious']. I was like, 'I don't want it to be an oversaturation of Big. I know that's not where it was coming from [when I started the book.].

"The show alludes to the fact that I was married and lost my husband," she added. "It's not about my husband being an artist. It's about that I took a break from the music business when I lost my husband, then I went back after I got offered [a gig performing] at a five-star hotel and casino. Then my kids are starting to sneak into my shows."

Evans wants to be the star of the program as well as the creator.

"I did plays when I was a teenager. [Acting] is definitely not foreign to me," she promised.

Of "Notorious," she said, "It was amazing. I was looking at it from afar — almost as if it wasn't a part of my life as well. I was just really proud."

The film did bring tears for Biggie's widow, even during the humorous scenes.

"I saw Lil' Cease and them there. We all still talk and hang out. I'm glad we weren't sitting together. We would have been a whole row of sniffles. I was crying from the beginning. Even parts that were funny made me cry."

Evans and Big's son CJ found the movie quite funny. He learned more about his dad.

"CJ was right there with me," Faith said. "He was cracking up. We talk about so many things. He was sitting there asking me stuff during the movie: 'Did that really happen?' CJ, a lot of mannerisms he has [are] like his dad — rubbing his nose, rubbing his toes together. As soon as the movie started, his questions would come: 'Oh he did that?' He's able to be even prouder of his father."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more this week!

• 'Notorious' Red Carpet

• Jay-Z, Beyonce, Nas, Diddy, More At "Notorious" Premiere

• Faith Evans

Lil' Kim
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

One thing about Lil Kim, the pint-sized Brooklyn rapper will take on all challengers. It doesn't matter if it's man or woman.

First, there were Kim's recent comments in the latest issue of Hip-Hop Weekly, where she lashed out against Faith Evans and Big's mother, Voletta Wallace.

The lady lyricist was upset that she wasn't invited to be more involved in the making of the film. Although she hasn't seen the movie yet, Kim claims the accuracy of the script is off. The rappers said a writer involved in "Notorious" — who was not identified in the article — contacted her and, during the conversation, she said she discovered mistakes in the story.

"I knew something was fishy about them having the writer call me. When I spoke to the writer I felt like he was trying to play me, so I wouldn't give up anything," Kim explained to the magazine. "I knew I wouldn't have control of how I was depicted. I did correct the writer about Biggie's nickname for me. He had written that Biggie called me Big Momma. Biggie never called me Big Momma. As a matter of fact, he didn't even like that name for me. He used to call me Mookie."

Kim went on to say that Faith and Biggie's mother were responsible for the way she was portrayed in the movie by Naturi Naughton. But on Thursday, Evans told MTV News she wasn't responsible for the script. The screenplay, in fact, was adapted from the book "Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.," by writer Cheo Hodari Coker.

"I don't know what to say," Evans said. "I think that beyond myself, Ms. Wallace or whoever else she wants to blame, everyone who was around Big at that time has had some things to say about [her relationship with Biggie] in order for Cheo to even write the book. He interviewed pretty much all of us. She's sadly mistaken. I'm aware of what she has to say, and that's fine. I don't know what to say. God bless her."

(The Hip-Hop Weekly interview was conducted before Evans' comments to MTV News were published; at press time, Kim's rep had not responded to requests for comment.)

The Queen Bee said she's spoken to her lawyer and has no plans to support the movie. She said she might watch the bootleg. "For legal reasons," she said.

Another, less intense, battle Kim is set to embark on is with her fellow rappers.

She recently told MTV News she's plotting her return to music soon and her approach may surprise some.

"I'm getting ready to come with a whole new flavor, a whole new style," she said, beaming. "And I don't care what nobody says, I'm not gonna let anyone pigeonhole me. This is what it is. I'm coming with it. I got to hang in there with the fellas. The only way to hang in there with the fellas is to be able to do what the fellas do. And with Lil Wayne singing and rapping, T-Pain singing and rapping, and everybody singing and rapping, somebody got to represent for my laaaaaaadies, she laughed.

Kim said she has no plans for her to use Auto-Tune, but then again, she said there are no plans in place at all.

"Maybe, maybe not," she said. "I'm gonna be singing, I'm gonna be flowing. Whatever I feel. It's not gonna be so strategic or placed. It's gonna be whatever I feel. I'm gonna have fun on my next album. It's coming soon. Really soon."

MTV News has even more B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more in the coming days!

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• Notorious B.I.G.
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Faith Evans
Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage

NEW YORK — On Wednesday night in Manhattan, almost all the music-industry insiders associated with the Notorious B.I.G. came out to see the premiere of his biopic, "Notorious." Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Lil' Cease, even Nas. But no Lil' Kim.

The Queen recently came out publicly and stated she is not in support of the film and blames Big's mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, singer Faith Evans, for what she calls a negative portrayal.

"I've had enough and I'm about to expose them both. ... I've been quiet for a long time," Kim was quoted as saying by Hip-Hop Weekly. "I'm very disappointed in Faith. There's nothing Faith or Ms. Wallace could do to stop me from reppin' B.I.G. all day. I'm gonna always do that. ... It's time for Ms. Wallace to be exposed.

"I was not involved in the movie," she continued. "[The filmmakers] never came and asked me anything about Biggie, but again, this was Faith and Ms. Wallace's movie," Kim told the tabloid about her thoughts on the biopic. "I couldn't believe it. I was outraged," adding that she thought Naturi Naughton was a bad choice to play her and that Jamal Woolard was a poor choice to portray Big.

"I try my best not to think about it," Evans told MTV News on Thursday afternoon (January 8) about Kim's recent quotes. "It's kinda sad."

Evans said the magazine informed her of the quotes. "I got four kids, and I definitely don't have time for this type of sh--," she noted. "It's just sad. I don't know Kim's story like that. The part of my life that she was a part of, that what was in my book. This movie is not relative to my book other than that there are certain things in there. This is not my movie. I didn't write the script. Any characters in the film had to agree for their life rights to be in the movie. I don't think I would have signed anything had I felt I was not portrayed properly. I think she had the opportunity to do that. I could be mistaken. I wasn't there.

"It's not like [the film's producers] are calling Faith to write something about somebody," Evans added. "It's based on a book that I think she participated in as well [Editor's note: 'Notorious' is based on the biography 'Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.,' by Cheo Hedari Coker.] I don't know what to say. I think that beyond myself, Ms. Wallace or whoever else she wants to blame, everyone who was around Big at that time has had some things to say about [her relationship with Biggie] in order for Cheo to even write the book. He interviewed pretty much all of us. She's sadly mistaken. I'm aware of what she has to say, and that's fine. I don't know what to say. God bless her."

Faith has not figured out what Kim has up her sleeve with the threat to "expose" her and Ms. Wallace. "I don't think there's anything about me that I would be ashamed of that I haven't already told people," she said. "I hope she found the closure she's looking for."

Faith is ready for a brand-new beginning. On Wednesday, she went to the "Notorious" premiere and watched the movie with her son, Christopher Wallace Jr. CJ plays his dad in the movie. Evans couldn't be more proud or surprised. She always knew the 11-year-old was talented but says he's the most shy of all her kids. On Thursday, CJ and his grandmother even rang the opening NASDAQ bell.

"He didn't want to get up that early, but I'm like, 'Uh-uh, baby, you go to work. You want fame? Fame costs,' " she laughed.

Although CJ is getting great reviews in the movie and appears on the film's soundtrack, rapping alongside his dad on a remix of "One More Chance," Evans said she's not sure if he'll pursue entertainment at such a young age.

"If it wasn't for this project being the project it was, I wouldn't have pulled him out of school," she said. "He thinks he's interested [in being a performer], then every time he remembers that tutor he had on set, he goes back to reality. He's like, 'I don't know.' It's fun, but it's still work."

Faith, CJ and the rest of their family are living in California. Although the Grammy winner has been out of the spotlight, concentrating on raising her kids for the past few years, she's ready to get back to her career. The New Jersey native is planning to record an album this year and is shopping around a sitcom that she would star in.

MTV News has even more B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more in the coming days!

• 'Notorious' Red Carpet
• 'Notorious' Exclusive Clip: Diddy Gets Fired
• Notorious B.I.G.: A Look Back

• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'
• Jay-Z, Beyonce, Nas, Diddy, More At "Notorious" Premiere

• Faith Evans
• Lil' Kim

Faith Evans and Angela Bassett at the afterparty for the premiere of "Notorious" at Roseland on Wednesday in New York City
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — The New York premiere of "Notorious" may have brought out stars like Jay-Z, Diddy and Spike Lee. But the afterparty at Roseland Ballroom is where the real action was on Wednesday night. Hundreds of people packed the venue and danced to the tunes DJs Cassidy and D-Nice were spinning.

Cast members Angela Bassett, Jamal "Gravy" Woolard and Anthony Mackie, as well as many people depicted in the film were all in the house — even Diddy made a quick appearance. And Brooklyn was more than accounted for, as Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Money L and Lil' Cease made their way in.

The setting for the party was ripped straight from the pages of Biggie's life.

There was an ice block in the of the place carved into the word "Notorious," just like there was at one of Big's album-release parties back in the day. Partygoers were rocking Coogi sweaters. A few Versace shades were spotted in the crowd. And the scent of some illegal substances may have been evident.

"Y'all here to party for Biggie?" Big's wife, Faith Evans, asked the crowd unexpectedly, asking the DJ to cut the music so she could speak.

"Say 'Yeah!" she continued. "I see D-Dot in here. Shout-outs to the Bad Boy family. But where's Brooklyn at?"

The atmosphere was festive throughout the night. Big's former stylist, Groovey Lew, told a story about a Biggie artifact he still has.

"I got this old, yellow sheet of paper," he told MTV News. "Big wanted to remember something, and he asked me if he could borrow a piece of paper to write it down. He didn't want to forget. So he wrote down, 'Money, hoes, and clothes all a brother knows.' "

Those lyrics, of course, would later become a part of the Brooklyn Don's hit "Big Poppa."

DJ Premier, the Beatnuts' Psycho Les and Mase's Harlem World alum Cardan were among the others in attendance.

The after afterparty — which kicked off at 3 a.m. — was held at NYC hot spot Mr. West. D-Nice manned the tables again, spinning some old-school Prince and a couple Biggie cuts too. "Soul Food" actress Malinda Williams was there, as was former Vibe editor in chief Mimi Valdes, who penned the mag's first cover story on Biggie. She teared up after the movie, remembering scenes from the flick ripped from her story.

"It's like 1995 all over again tonight," she said.

MTV News has even more B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more in the coming days!

• 'Notorious' Red Carpet
• 'Notorious' Exclusive Clip: Diddy Gets Fired
• Notorious B.I.G.: A Look Back

• Jay-Z, Beyonce, Nas, Diddy, More At "Notorious" Premiere
• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Jay-Z
• Faith Evans
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Jamal Woolard and Naturi Naughton at the premiere of "Notorious" on Wednesday
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

NEW YORK — The only person missing from the world premiere of "Notorious" Wednesday night in New York was Biggie himself. You could almost imagine the late icon cracking up as he watched some of the more humorous parts of his life on the big screen. The audience definitely did.

Walking down the aisle in the main theater of the AMC Lincoln Square was almost like going to an award show. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are over there. Nas is right here. Busta Rhymes is a few rows up. Fabolous, DJ Clue, Ciara, Jadakiss, Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons, members of "The Wire" cast and, of course, the cast of "Notorious." All were in the building, along with Big's circle of the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Faith Evans, Big's managers, Voletta Wallace and Diddy. Lil' Kim, who recently blasted Biggie's mom and widow in an interview with Hip-Hop Weekly, was noticeably absent.

As the movie played, it was evident the filmmakers devised the right path to touch the audience's emotions. The laughs were loud, people were dancing in their seats during the performance scenes, and — whoa ... We all know the great tragedy that is the death of Christopher Wallace/ Frank White/ Biggie/ Big Poppa. When that last chapter of his life came up, you could see eyes getting glassy and some downright dripping with tears. What a ride.

"I loved it," Jadakiss said in the lobby.

Diddy was one of the last to leave the theater after the screening, and in the lobby, he mingled with his peers and took pictures with fans. He had a pleased smile on his face. The general consensus was that the film surpassed expectations. The hip-hop community has a winner.

After the screening, everyone headed to the Roseland Ballroom for the afterparty, where DJs kept acts like Guy, New Edition and even George Michael in rotation throughout the night. "Faith" was played, and Faith Evans got on the mic.

After shouting out a myriad of Big's friends, Evans asked, "Where's Brooklyn at? Y'all in this muthaf---a? Y'all came to party with B.I.G.? Say, 'Yeah!' F--- that, say, 'Yeah!' Let's do it like New York ni--as know how to do it!"

Just then, the DJ dropped "Party and Bullsh--."

Faith came back later and told the story of how "Hypnotize" was repeatedly played at the Vibe party Biggie attended before his murder. The DJ threw that on for the people at Roseland. And you know a good time is being had by all when you see Omar from "The Wire" (Michael K. Williams) dancing in front of the stage. "Ha! Sicker than your average ... "

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more this week!

• Notorious B.I.G.: A Look Back
• 'Notorious' Exclusive Clip: Diddy Gets Fired
• 'Notorious' Red Carpet

• Jay-Z, Beyonce, Nas, Diddy, More At "Notorious" Premiere
• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Diddy
• Jay-Z
• Nas
• Faith Evans

Jamal Woolard as Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Notorious B.I.G. and his protégé Lil' Kim were close during their day jobs as MCs, often complimenting each other with filth-filled lyrics on each other's songs.

But after hours, the two Brooklyn natives shared a much more complex relationship.

Kim, after all, was Biggie's artist, signed to his and Lance "Un" Rivera's Undeas Records. She was also one of the married MC's lovers.

In this exclusive clip from "Notorious" (which comes out January 16; the star-studded soundtrack arrives in the 12th), the Queen Bee is in the studio with Big and his entourage/group Junior M.A.F.I.A. as she's laying down the vocals for the song that would become "Big Momma Thang."

Biggie's wife, singer Faith Evans, is also present.

As the pint-sized diva is isolated in the recording booth, a demur, sweater-wearing Faith approaches Big (portrayed by Jamal Woolard) at the soundboard and kisses him goodbye as she leaves the studio.

A brooding and scantily clad Kim huffs and puffs throughout her rap as she looks on. She then gives Faith an evil eye that's a razor-sharp as her lyrics. It's clear Faith — who is confused by the situation — isn't yet aware of Biggie's extramarital activities with Kim.

"To me, the Kim element of his life, it's important and significant because it shows you the dynamic [between them]," Wayne Barrow, Big's former manager and a "Notorious" producer, told MTV News. "The same thing with Faith. Each woman in his life represents certain things. I always felt like [Big] was such the man that he was toward women because he was always trying to find his mother. As a man, you're never gonna find a woman to replace that woman until you have a daughter or a little girl and she becomes your life. Anything in between is you trying to get to a better place.

"Although he was maybe womanizing,[Biggie] was trying to grow and become a man. He just didn't always know better."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" — stay tuned for more in the coming days!

• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'
• Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, The Big Screen's Notorious B.I.G.

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Faith Evans
• Lil' Kim

Angela Bassett
Photo: MTV News

Angela Bassett says the kinship that grew between her and the Notorious B.I.G.'s mom, Voletta Wallace, was that of two girlfriends. Wallace handpicked Bassett to play her in the Biggie biopic "Notorious," due January 16.

"I spoke to her on the phone," Mrs. Wallace said of her first interaction with Bassett. "I was out in California visiting my grandson. We had the opportunity to meet. I was over at [Faith Evans' house when Angela] came over. We sat and had dinner and had a long talk."

One of the most challenging aspects of playing Wallace was getting down the Jamaican accent, Bassett said. "It took awhile," the actress admitted. "Some of it, I had to work on it, get it later."

"Certain parts of the script, I taped my voice, and I guess that's how she got my accent," Wallace said. "They sent me tapes, I sent her tapes. And I was on the set every day. So there was not a time when she said, 'Oh, Mrs. Wallace, how was that?' She didn't have to do that. We had lunch together a lot. We had breakfast one morning. We'd just chat, woman to woman, mother to mother. We had a nice rapport together."

Bassett says having Wallace watch her every day made her a little nervous, but she was also reassured. "It can be a little intimidating, because you hope you're getting it right," she said. "You hope you're meeting their standards. We all have a way of seeing ourselves, the truth of it as we wish it were. Some of us are real honest with ourselves. Some of us embellish it. Mrs. Wallace is a straight shooter. Any question I had, I could go right to her. Lean into it. It was like girlfriends.

"She's a major part of the reason," Bassett added about why she chose to appear in the film. "Of course Biggie. It's a story about him, first and foremost. A major force in the hip-hop genre. One of the emissaries, gone too soon. He's one of the major bright lights in that arena. The type of person [Mrs. Wallace is], she is just fascinating to me. Her strength, her vulnerability, her ability to still laugh every day. To be supportive, to be on the set. I have seen a great deal of life worth living despite a major tragedy. That's a lesson each of us can take in some measure — large and small — with us into the issues we have to deal with day to day in our lives."

MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding "Notorious" and its soundtrack — stay tuned for more in the coming days.

• Exclusive: Meet The Stars Of The B.I.G Biopic 'Notorious'

• Faith Evans
• Notorious B.I.G.

Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Bad Boy

Christopher Wallace Jr. was just 3 months old when his father, the Notorious B.I.G., was gunned down in L.A. back in 1997. But CJ has learned — through family, friends and the media — just how great his dad was.

While he never got to know his pops, he has gotten the chance to work with him. The "One More Chance" remix, featuring CJ, is one of the must-hear records from the soundtrack to the Biggie biopic "Notorious." The preteen's voice is nowhere near as husky as his dad's endearing tone, but CJ shows his hip-hop pedigree by mimicking Biggie's flow and taking over some of the lyrics on the song.

"I stay Coogi down to the socks/ Rings and watch filled with rocks," CJ raps over the original beat. "And my jam knock in your Mitsubishi/ Girls pee-pee when they see me/ Navajos creep me in they teepee/ As I lay down laws like Island Carpet/ Stop it, if you think you're gonna make a profit."

The more adult material from the song is still handled by the senior Wallace.

Later, CJ returns with some of the song's signature lines: "Once ya grin, I'm in, game begin/ First, I talk about how I dresses this/ In diamond necklaces, stretch Lexuses."

Both father and son close the song out with the lines: "Lyrically, I'm supposed to represent/ I'm not only the client, I'm the playa president."

"CJ was 3 and a half months when Christopher died," Voletta Wallace said of her son and grandson over the weekend in New York. "We watched his father's work. We talked about it. Of course, I discussed his father a lot. He saw his father's pictures a lot. I talked. The love is there. There's no question asked."

While father and son get top billing, let's not forget Big's widow and CJ's mom, Faith Evans, who sings the hook on the record. It's a historic family affair.

Evans' soul-stamped vocals also help Jadakiss articulate his emotions to the late King of New York on "Letter to Big." 'Kiss raps as if he's talking directly to Biggie. "Dear Christopher 'Frank White' Wallace/ In your memory, I keep a Coogi in my closet/ Kangol on the rack and fresh pair of Wallys."

Kiss also updates him on how Jr. M.A.F.I.A. broke up and puts Big up on the state of hip-hop. "Everybody is 'the king' now, you ain't gotta be nice/ Getting shot is the thing now," he raps. "Game has got cheaper, rappers are more commercially successful now/ But the heart's a lot weaker."

As 'Kiss nears the song's ending, he addresses Puff Daddy and Biggie's children: "I ain't on the label no more, but I'm tighter with Diddy/ ... T'Yanna is so pretty/ CJ turned into little Biggie/ Just a little lighter, but so witty."

Faith sings somber sentiments laced with hope: "We try so hard to understand why you had to go away/ ... We just keep our heads to the sky, 'cause we know we're gonna see you in the next lifetime."

The soundtrack includes a bevy of Biggie's greatest musical accomplishments, such as "Juicy" and "Warning." Three demo records are also included in the set. One is called "Love No Ho," on which the Brooklyn mic hero tells his girlfriend to take a long walk off a short peer.

"This bi--- is in the back of my mind," Big says on the song intro before telling one of his boys he wrote a rhyme about her. "Thinking what this ho said, she called me a thief/ She said I stole her heart and didn't leave a trace/ ... Walked out my door with my Walkman in my pocket/ Playing 'Love Is a House,' and thinking how she jockin'."

Apparently, the lady was upset Biggie spent more time in the studio making music than chasing females. Thank goodness for us.

"Microphone Murderer" which was re-created for "Notorious," displays a rookie Big who even back then was a better rapper than a lot of veterans. In the film and in real life, the freestyle turned out to be a major part of getting him signed to Uptown Records by Sean "Puffy" Combs. Puff was later fired from Uptown and started Bad Boy with Biggie and Craig Mack as his crown jewels.

"The B.I.G. moves swifter than a ninja," Big raps over a sample of the Emotions' "Blind Alley." (The sample has also been used on tracks such as Wrexx n Effects' "Rump Shaker" and Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'.") "Even on stickups, I'm the masked avenger/ Keeps my eyes open and the case closed/ No eye witnesses or names exposed/ ... It's the heavy-set one, with the big gun and the sweet tongue/ Shaking down everyone/ Loot like Michael Jackson, kicks like Bo Jackson, bi---es like Freddy Jackson."

The soundtrack to "Notorious" is scheduled for January 13. The film will be in theaters January 16. MTV News has some B.I.G. things on the horizon surrounding both releases — stay tuned for more in the coming days.

• Notorious B.I.G.
• Faith Evans

Jamal "Gravy" Woolard as Notorious B.I.G. in the film "Notorious"
Photo: Phil Caruso

Some of Notorious B.I.G.'s greatest hits and early, little-known recordings fill out the soundtrack to "Notorious," the forthcoming biopic about the legendary Brooklyn rapper. Slated for release on January 13 on Bad Boy/ Atlantic, the soundtrack features hit singles that endeared Biggie to the masses as well as some of his demos, appearances from his family and brand-new records some of his closest peers, including Jay-Z and Jadakiss. (The movie is slated for release January 16 through Fox Searchlight Pictures.)

Jay, who teamed up with Big for such classics as "Brooklyn's Finest," "I Love the Dough" and Puff Daddy & the Family's "Young G's," comes with "Brooklyn Go Hard," as previously reported by MTV News. The Kanye West-produced track features Santogold. Although an official video is still being discussed, an unsanctioned clip — featuring Hov in animated form — has already hit the Internet.

Jadakiss appears on "A Letter to B.I.G." The track was originally recorded for Jada's Last Kiss LP, and the filmmakers thought it was perfect to include on the "Notorious" project. Obviously, Jada and Big were not strangers: The Biggie/ LOX collaborations during the Bad Boy dynasty years were legendary. The title of 'Kiss' record is self-explanatory: He speaks directly to his deceased friend, who died in a still-unsolved murder in 1997.

Bad Boy has also confirmed that Biggie's son, Christopher "CJ" Wallace Jr., will be performing on a new version of "One More Chance." It's being labeled as "a duet" by Bad Boy. CJ's mom, Faith Evans, sings on a remix of the song, also featured on the album.

Early records "Microphone Murderer" and "Guaranteed Raw" — which never made it onto an album but garnered Big a neighborhood buzz during his early years — are also included, along with his first-ever officially released track (from the 1993 "Who's the Man?" soundtrack), "Party & Bullsh--."

"Notorious" soundtrack track listing, according to Bad Boy Records:

1. "Notorious Thugs" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
2. "Hypnotize"
3. "Notorious"
4. "Juicy"
5. "Party & Bullsh--"
6. "Warning"
7. "One More Chance" remix (featuring Faith Evans)
8. "Brooklyn Go Hard" (Jay-Z featuring Santogold)
9. "Letter to B.I.G." (Jadakiss featuring Faith Evans)
10. "Kick in the Door"
11. "What's Beef"
12. "World Is Filled"
13. "One More Chance" (featuring CJ)
14. "The Notorious Theme" (composed by Danny Elfman)
15. "Microphone Murderer" (previously unreleased demo)
16. "Guaranteed Raw" (previously unreleased demo)
17. "Love No Ho" (previously unreleased demo)

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