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After the shocking murder of The Notorious BIG in March 1997, Sean Combs planned a send-off fit for a king. But when he learned of the high costs, Combs decided, according to the label’s co-founder in a new Netflix documentary, to charge the entire cost of the funeral to Biggie’s estate.
Meanwhile, Combs acted as if he was personally paying for the extravagant funeral, Kirk Burrowes said in Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which premiered Tuesday. “He wanted to make the funeral a repayable expense for Biggie in death,” Burrowes said. “Sean, doing a big show works well for him. But he’s not going to tell the world that Biggie should pay for it.”
The Notorious BIG (real name Christopher Wallace) was gunned down in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997 — just six months after his West Coast friend-turned-rival Tupac Shakur was similarly killed in Las Vegas. (Wallace’s murder remains unsolved, while reputed L.A. gang leader Duane “Keefe D” Davis is scheduled to stand trial next year for his alleged role in Shakur’s death. He has pleaded not guilty.)
Fans, funeral procession and the big farewell party
On March 18, 1997, thousands of fans filled the streets to pay their respects to the Brooklyn rapper as a hearse carrying his coffin drove through the borough. The entire Bad Boy family, including Wallace’s wife Faith Evans and his group Junior MAFIA, attended the star-studded funeral at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on the Upper East Side.
Passing on funeral expenses wasn’t the only questionable action Combs took after Wallace’s death, Burrowes claimed. Combs allegedly attempted to posthumously change some of Wallace’s contract terms.
“Sean wanted me to change the agreement to more favorable terms for Bad Boy, and [Wallaces] Family and mother shouldn’t know,” Burrowes said. “And there [Wallace] had signed the agreement [Combs]that these changes come from the middle of the Agreement and these pages are replaced with the other terms and conditions. I said, ‘That’s not right. I’m not doing this.’” A few months later, Burrowes was fired.
And when it came to a cover story in Rolling Stone in 1997, Combs stood up for himself while Burrowes called for Wallace. “I said to Sean, ‘Let’s take Biggie. You still have a chance [für ein Cover in der Zukunft].'” Burrowes previously told ROLLING STONE: “He says, ‘No, he’s dead. I’m bringing [Combs’ Debütalbum „No Way Out“] out in July. I have to be on the cover of ROLLING STONE.’”