Christopher Jordan Wallace was only five months old when his father, the Notorious B.I.G., was murdered in Los Angeles. He has no biological memories of the man who redefined hip-hop. None. Every image he has of Biggie comes from the same place ours does—grainy music videos, iconic photographs in a Coogi sweater, and the stories told by his mother, Faith Evans, or his "Uncle" Puffy. It’s a heavy weight to carry. Imagine being the living, breathing sequel to a masterpiece that was cut short.
People expect him to rap. They always have. They want that same deep, gravelly baritone and that effortless flow that made Ready to Die a multi-platinum staple of the 90s. But C.J. isn't a carbon copy. He's something else entirely. While the world spent decades looking for the next Biggie, the actual son of Biggie Smalls was quietly figuring out how to be Christopher Jordan. Honestly, it’s a miracle he didn’t crumble under the pressure of the "Junior M.A.F.I.A." expectations. Instead, he’s spent the last decade pivoting between acting, social activism, and a massive business empire centered around—of all things—cannabis and climate tech.
Living in the Shadow of the King of New York
It’s gotta be weird. You walk into a room and people start crying because you look exactly like your dad. C.J. has spoken openly about this "ghost" that follows him around. He’s got the eyes. He’s got the stature. When he played the younger version of his father in the 2009 biopic Notorious, the resemblance was actually haunting.
That movie was his introduction to the public eye. He was just a kid, really. He had to audition for the role like anyone else, even though he literally shared the man's DNA. He nailed it. But acting in a movie about your dead father isn't exactly a typical childhood experience. It forced him to confront the mythology of Biggie Smalls before he even understood the man behind the crown.
After that, he could have easily chased a record deal. Every label in the country would have signed him on the spot just for the marketing "legacy" play. But he didn't. He went to school. He stayed relatively low-key. He watched how the industry chewed people up and decided he wanted a different kind of seat at the table. He's frequently mentioned in interviews that he didn't want to just "be" his dad; he wanted to honor the spirit of his dad's hustle without necessarily using a microphone to do it.
The Son of Biggie Smalls and the Business of Wellness
So, what does he actually do now?
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He’s a founder. Specifically, he’s the brains behind Think BIG, a company that focuses on the legalization and social impact of cannabis. It’s not just about selling weed, though. It’s more personal than that. C.J. has been very vocal about how his father used cannabis as a tool for creativity and stress relief, back when it was strictly "hustle" and "illegal."
He launched a brand called Frank White. If you're a real fan, you know the name. It was one of Biggie's many aliases, a nod to Christopher Walken’s character in King of New York. But C.J. repurposed it. Under this brand, he’s pushed for criminal justice reform, specifically helping people whose lives were ruined by non-violent drug offenses.
Think about the irony there.
His father was the face of a generation that was heavily targeted by the War on Drugs. Now, his son is using that same name to advocate for the people still stuck in that system. It’s a full-circle moment that feels a lot more authentic than a ghost-written rap verse ever could. He’s also ventured into the tech space, looking at how to make the industry more sustainable. He isn't just a "celebrity kid" with a vanity project; he’s in the room during the board meetings.
Beyond the "Junior" Label
C.J. has a younger brother, Joshua, and a sister, Chyna. The family dynamic is complicated but surprisingly tight-knit. Faith Evans has always been the anchor, ensuring that C.J. and his siblings understood the business side of their father’s estate.
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One of the biggest misconceptions is that the son of Biggie Smalls is just sitting on a pile of royalty checks. While the estate is obviously worth millions, the legal battles over Biggie’s likeness and the "B.I.G." brand have been legendary and exhausting. C.J. has had to learn the hard way that protecting a legacy is a full-time job.
He’s worked with brands like Lexus and even collaborated on a special edition of the Jordan 13s to celebrate his father’s 50th birthday. These aren't just cash grabs. They are calculated moves to keep the name alive for a generation that wasn't even born when Life After Death was released.
Why He Chose Acting Over the Mic
Let’s talk about the music for a second. C.J. actually did release some music as part of a duo called CJ and Jahad. It was chill. It was melodic. It was... not what people wanted. They wanted "Kick in the Door." He gave them something closer to lo-fi R&B.
He realized pretty quickly that the comparisons would be his undoing if he stayed in the booth. "People are always going to compare me to him," he once said in a radio interview. "I can't beat him at his own game." That’s a level of self-awareness most kids in his position don't have.
Instead, he leaned into acting. Beyond the biopic, he appeared in Everything Must Go with Will Ferrell and the MTV series Scream. He likes the transformative nature of it. In acting, he can be anyone. On a track, he’s always just "Biggie’s kid."
The Weight of the Wallace Name
The Wallace name carries a certain weight in Brooklyn. It’s practically royalty. But C.J. grew up mostly in Los Angeles. That distance probably saved him. Being the son of Biggie Smalls in New York City is a 24/7 job. In Cali, he had a bit more room to breathe, even if the shadow of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry still lingered in the background of his life.
He’s also been incredibly open about his journey with mental health and the anxiety of living up to a legend. It’s not all red carpets and champagne. It’s a lot of pressure to be "great" when your father is arguably the greatest to ever do it. He’s used his platform to talk to young black men about the importance of vulnerability—something his father's "tough guy" persona didn't always allow for.
The Future of the B.I.G. Estate
What’s next? C.J. is heavily involved in the "G.O.A.T." (Greatest Of All Time) campaign and the continued expansion of the Frank White brand into apparel and lifestyle products. He’s also looking at film production, specifically stories that highlight the nuances of Black life that aren't just centered on trauma or the streets.
He’s currently focused on:
- Scaling the Frank White lifestyle brand into international markets.
- Producing documentaries that explore the "human" side of hip-hop legends.
- Continuing his work with the Youth Design Center in Brooklyn.
- Investing in climate-conscious startups through his various venture partnerships.
He's not trying to be the King of New York. He's trying to be a mogul of the modern age.
How to Follow the Legacy
If you want to keep up with what C.J. is doing, don't look at the Billboard charts. Look at the business headlines. He’s active on social media, but he doesn't post like a typical influencer. It’s mostly behind-the-scenes looks at his projects or tributes to his mom and late father.
You can find his work through:
- The Frank White Collection: His primary creative outlet for apparel and advocacy.
- Think BIG: The hub for his cannabis social equity work.
- Film Credits: Keep an eye on his IMDb, as he’s moved more into the "producer" chair lately.
The reality is that Christopher Jordan Wallace has succeeded where many celebrity children fail. He didn't let the tragedy of his father's death define him, and he didn't let his father's fame consume him. He’s his own man. He just happens to have the most famous father in music history.
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To really understand the son of Biggie Smalls, you have to stop looking for the rapper and start looking at the entrepreneur. He isn't recreating the 90s; he’s building the 2020s and beyond. He’s taken the "hustle" his father rapped about and turned it into a legitimate, multi-faceted corporate empire that aims to do some actual good in the world.
If you're looking for actionable ways to support the legacy or dive deeper into his world, start by researching the social equity programs he supports. Supporting the Think BIG initiative or checking out his curated "Icons" playlists on streaming services gives you a better look at his taste than any tabloid article ever could. Watch his interviews from the last two years—you'll see a man who is comfortable in his own skin, finally free from the "Junior" tag that the world tried to pin on him since 1997.