Auditions are over. Notorious has been cast. Thank you for coming down, don’t call us, we’ll call you. You know that deal. Envelope please.. the only role that truly matters goes to.. Jamal Wollard. Nothing? Let’s try this.. the only role that truly matters goes to.. Gravy! Still nothing? Well if you didn’t know his name yesterday, you’ll know it when the movie hits theaters. Brooklyn rapper, Gravy got the job to represent Biggie Smalls aka Notorious B.I.G. aka Frank White aka the borough’s greatest to ever do it (before his passing <

< happy, Jay?).

Actually you might have heard Gravy’s name once before. He got shot in the ass outside of NY’s HOT 97 radio station. At the time Gravy’s name was getting hot on the streets. He was at HOT 97 to interview with Funkmaster Flex, before he made it upstairs someone in his crew shot him. He notoriously went through the interview anyway, hot slug still stuck in the cheek.

Of course there were all kinds of side-eyed thinking that came with it - what people will do for publicity. Nothing more came out of that situation though - suspicious or an album. Next time around he’ll have the name recognition to take it full press on his career. Whether that will include acting.. we’ll have to see what he does with this role.

Before the open casting call there was rumbling about Forest Whitaker playing Biggie. Fox Searchlight studio executives ditched that, figuring an unknown face, someone that knew how to rap - imagine Forest Whitaker rapping - would better serve the authenticity of the film.

They dotted the rest of the cast with some familiar faces:

Angela Bassett ~ Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace

Derek Luke ~ Diddy

Anthony Mackie - 2Pac

Not to sure about Anthony Mackie playing Pac. This will have to be his Last King of Scotland. You know, like the biggest transfomation from nice guy to dangerous you’ve ever seen. 

Jamie Hector (Marlo) from The Wire is also rumored to be cast as D-Roc.

There are some key casting decisions left unanswered: Who is playing Lil Kim?.. How about Lil Cease?

Most importantly, will the script be fixed so these decisions make any sense at all?
“We’ve Read the Screenplay for the Notorious B.I.G. Biopic”

Yup, still some work to do.