Notorious B.I.G, 15yrs After - Interview With Daughter T'yanna And Son Christopher

T’yanna Dream Wallace was only a year old when her father put those famous words to tape, back in 1994, since then, she and her brother, Christopher Jordna Walllace, born three years later, have been walking through life on a path made by some very big footsteps. Now 18, T’yanna is a freshman atPenn State University; she’s currently studying business but ultimately plans to study fashion in New York, where she hopes to help her late father’s Brooklyn Mint clothing line blow up like he thought it would. (‘Call the crib, same number, same crib,’) Baby bro C.J, on the other hand, lives out in Los Angeles, where he is an actor with big roles in two major motion pictures already under his belt: the 2009 Biggie biopic Notorious and Will Ferrell’s 2010 dark comedy Everything Must Go. 

Still, despite their lineage and the opportunities it might present, the young Wallaces come off like a couple of regular teenagers. They both love to get on Facebook and Twitter, hang out with their friends (three of whom happen to be the children of B.I.G’s Bad Boy CEO, Sean ‘Diddy’
Combs) and listen to their favourite rapper, Kanye West. Here, leading up to the 15th anniversary of their father’s tragic death, T’yanna and C.J. talk about how they want to forge their own trails, their dad’s music and how today’s artists might learn from his legacy.

T’yanna, you go to Penn State. There’s been a lot of controversy there in the past few months surrounding the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal. What’s the atmosphere there like now?

T’YANNA Well, I don’t go to the main campus, where it actually happened. I go to a different campus. But I do actually go to Penn State, so there were, like, news cameras and stuff. It was a lot of drama. People from my campus were going to getting involved with this. It was pretty crazy the first week that it happened, but it’s dying down now.

 

Your boyfriend plays football. Did it have a big effect on him?

T’YANNA He loves Penn State. But he played football in high school, so it wasn’t really affecting him.

A while ago, Lil’ Cease told me that J.U.N.I.O.R Mafia has to come meet your boyfriend and see if they approve.

T’YANNA Well, Cease met him in, like, July. Some other members of J.U.N.I.O.R Mafia, like Nino, met him. There were some members of the basketball tournament mom did. I was so sacred. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. I really don’t want this to happen right now!’, but they were really nice.

Are they overprotective, like the big-brother types?

T’YANNA I mean, literally all of them looked so mean when they met him. I think they were just trying to mess with me. I was like, ‘Okay, guys. We’re all going to be nice, right?’ So I think they’re protective in a way. As long as he’s a good guy, they’re all right with it.

When it comes to you and C.J, who is more protective of the other? Is it you being the big sister, or is it the brother being more protective of his sister?

T’YANNA Oh, no. I’m the more overprotective one.

C.J She’s definitely more protective.

T’YANNA I’ll see all these girls on his Facebook page, and I’ll be like, ‘What is this?’ I’ll be like ‘ No, no, no, no and no.”

[Laughs] What do you do when that happens, C.J?

C.J (Smiles) I don’t know. She’s 3,000 miles away. [Laughs] What can I do?

C.J., are you dating, too?

C.J. Nah, Never.

Never?

I mean, not right now, at least

You’re just focused on school?

C.J. Focused on school. Girls come and go…I guess.

So, as you two know, March 9 is the 15th anniversary of your dad’s passing. We celebrate him all the time, but what do you guys do on the anniversary every year?

T’YANNA Remember. Listen to music and reflect. I remember reading this article he did. He was like, ‘In 10 years, no one is going to remember me. ‘B.I.G. who?’’ By 2000, he didn’t want to be a rapper. I read that he said that. I’m like, Oh, my gosh. If he could only see now. It’s way past 10 years, and people still listen to his music. It’s crazy to me. I’m about to be 19. I know 13-year-olds that know who he is. That’s really weird to me.

C.J. Yeah, around the anniversary. I just kind of remember. I was way younger when he passed. I was, like, seven months. I don’t have any memories of him. I don’t remember seeing him at all. I know a lot about him, of course, from my mom and my grandma. But I don’t have memories of me and him. It’s like I’m learning when this comes around this time is when I’m learning about him.

Well, whatever you guys do, I know it will be successful. It’s in your blood. Do you guys have any last words or feelings about your father’s legacy?

T’YANNA Basically, you can clearly listen to his music. And get a feel as to where his mind was at. You can feel the hunger, the struggle, the want to make it. I think that, by his passion, other rappers should follow that. Have passion in your music. You’re gonna go far. 

C.J. Just have the passion. You really can’t be successful as a rapper if you don’t strive for it. I can tell my dad wanted it. He really just wanted it to provide for his family. All these other guys have to get on that.

From Berrykissinspires.