Biggie Smalls
Biggie Smalls Reuters

Sunday marked nearly 20 years since Biggie Smalls died. The rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was murdered on March 9 in 1997 after he left an after-party hosted by Vibe magazine. The rapper’s death remains a mystery 17 years after he was gunned down in Los Angeles.

The song “Ready to Die” pelted Smalls, who was also known as The Notorious B.I.G, into stardom and, on Sunday, Twitter users took to the social-media site to remember the artist, who is arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Smalls was fatally shot while he was in a GMC Suburban with his entourage, and stopped at a red light. A black Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up next to the vehicle and the driver fired shots at the Suburban. Four of the shots hit Smalls.

The first three weren’t fatal, according to the autopsy report, but the fourth and final shot punctured several organs. He was 24 years old when he died. To remember the rapper, some of his greatest quotes and lyrics have been posted below, courtesy of Quotelicious.com and SeachQuotes.com.

1. "We can't change the World. Unless we change ourselves."

2. "If Faith had twins, she'd probably have two Pacs, Get it, Tu-Pac's?"

3. "Forgive me for my disrespect, forgive me for my lies."

4. "If you didn’t know, now you now."

5. "It was all a dream I sued to read Word Up magazine. Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine. Hangin' pictures on my wall. Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped."

6. "And everything you get, ya gotta work hard for it."

7. "Catch me if you can like the gingerbread man."

8. "I’m living every day like a hustle. Another drug to juggle, another day another struggle."

9. "Biggie Smalls is the illest. Your style is played out, like Arnold wondered, ‘What you talkin bout Willis?’"

10. "And n-ggas know they soft like a Twinkie fillin’. Playin’ the villian. Prepare for this rap killin.'"

11. "Take a better stand. Put money in my mom’s hand. Get my daughter this college plan, so she don’t need no man."

12. "While we out here, say the hustlas prayer. If the game shakes me or breaks me, I hope it makes me a better man."

13. "Excellence is my presence. Never tense, never hesitant."

14. "If you don’t love yourself, I’ll make you see your own heart."

15. "I never wish death on nobody, cause there ain’t coming back from that."

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella