This weekend’s box office is almost sure to go to Notorious, Fox Searchlight’s much-anticipated biopic about rapper Biggie Smalls (aka The Notorious B.I.G.; aka Big Poppa; aka Christopher Wallace), who tragically met his end 12 years ago in a controversial shooting. So far, the reviews are mostly favorable, though even a 0% score on RottenTomatoes.com couldn’t keep people away from this film. Fans aren’t likely to learn anything new about the hip-hop star, and they sure won’t gain any fresh revelations regarding the mysterious circumstances behind Biggie’s death, but they’ll definitely enjoy seeing the icon portrayed on the big screen (partly by his own look-alike son, Christopher Jordan Wallace). Like Newsweek critic Allison Samuels, many moviegoers will feel like they’re “attending a 10-year high-school reunion and reliving the good old days.”

And with the success of Notorious, both Hollywood and hip-hop fans will probably be begging for more. So, in anticipation of the potential copycats, and in hope for the best, we’ve selected five deceased rappers who are also worthy of the biopic treatment.
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