The Notorious C.O.O.G.I.: Biggie's History With The COOGI Brand

“However, I stay Coogi down to the socks…”

9th of march marked 16 years since Christopher Wallace, better known to the world as The Notorious B.I.G., was struck down in the prime of his career. The fatal gunshots that took his life at 24-years-old—as a result of an ongoing eastcoast/westcoast rivalry between him and fellow deceased rapper, Tupac Shakur—ended the bright future of a hip-hop heavyweight, in every sense of the word.

With just one multiplatinum album under his belt (1994's Ready To Die)—and a sophomore project two weeks shy from being released (1997's double-disc Life After Death)—Big was living large and in charge of the hip-hop scene. While some of us will never really come to terms with his absence from the rap game, his memory is still there...growing far “bigger” than his moniker suggests.

One thing in particular that we’ll always love about Big Poppa is his unmatchable style—and, more importantly, his love for COOGI.

We take a brief look at Biggie’s history with the COOGI brand, and breaks down how a man, self-described as “black and ugly as ever,” brought Australian clothing to the streets of Brooklyn.