<\/p>\n
The Notorious B.I.G.\u2019s estate has sold a significant share of the rapper\u2019s catalogue to Primary Wave, a music publishing company which already owns the rights to many significant acts – including stakes in the catalogues of Kurt Cobain<\/strong><\/a>, John Lennon<\/strong><\/a> and Prince<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The company confirmed the deal with Biggie\u2019s estate on Thursday but has not provided any financial details. However, previous reports by The Hollywood Reporter suggested that the rapper\u2019s publishing rights would be worth as much as $100 million (\u20ac92.3 million) with a further $50 million ($46.1 million) potentially on the cards for his master rights.<\/p>\n Sources have said that the estate has sold 50% of both these rights to Primary Wave, as well as his name and likeness.<\/p>\n This gives Primary Wave a controlling share of Biggie\u2019s catalogue which they can use for licensing the songs to films and TV series as well as other branding opportunities through the rights over his name and likeness.<\/p>\n Voletta Wallace, the rapper\u2019s mother, reportedly made the deal with the company before her death in late February.<\/p>\n One of the most influential figures in the East Coast rap scene, Biggie\u2019s first album \u2018Ready to Die<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 (1994) is considered a classic of the genre. The rapper, real name Christopher Wallace, was murdered in 1997<\/strong><\/a> aged just 24, weeks before the release of his follow-up album \u2018Life After Death\u2019.<\/p>\n Through his mother\u2019s control of his estate, Biggie has released two posthumous albums and has had his life depicted in the biopic Notorious<\/em>.<\/p>\n Biggie is just the latest of a string of musicians to sell their catalogues to a range of firms. Recently, the EDM producer Deadmau5 sold his catalogue to Create Music Group for $55 million (\u20ac50.8 million).<\/p>\n One of the biggest sales of these kinds was Sony Music\u2019s acquisition of Queen\u2019s catalogue<\/strong><\/a>. The British glam-rock band reportedly sold the rights to their music for $1.27 billion (\u20ac1.17 billion) in June 2024.<\/p>\n