Rapper Jamal ‘Gravy’ Woolard Set To Play Notorious B.I.G In Biopic

Rapper Jamal ‘Gravy’ Woolard has been chosen to play Biggie Smalls, aka The Notorious B.I.G in a biopic due out next year.

Woolard was chosen from a group of 100 rappers who were auditioned for the part, with movie bosses declaring that they wanted an unknown with no previous acting experience to play the rapper who died after being shot in Los Angeles in 1997.

According to Dark Horizons, the film will focus on the life of Christopher Wallace (Biggy) from his beginnings as a Brooklyn crack dealer to his rise to legendary rapper, and hip-hop kingpin.

Also appearing in the film will be Angela Bassett, who will play Voletta Wallace, mother of the singer, Derek Luke, who will play Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur.

Diddy and Tupac are sure to be two important characters in the film, as Combs was in the car the night Smalls got shot, while Shakur, who was shot a year before Biggy, was his main rival, and the pair had an acrimonious professional relationship.

Filming is due to begin on March 24th all across New York, for a planned release date of January 16th 2009.