Notorious BIG was not just a Bad Boy Entertainment artist. He was a lyrical genius, a literary giant, a voice for people who aren't often heard and one of the greatest rappers in the history of hip hop. What people need to know about B.I.G. is that he was compassionate, humorous and generous. He was not perfect though. We all have our problems. In fact he shared the same problems growing up as many Black youth in America who are raised without fathers or understanding of what it means to become strong, productive and responsible men. Notorious BIG and I both had to teach ourselves to become men. It was not easy, and we obviously made some mistakes. From the beginning, all BIG and I wanted to do was make music people could dance to and laugh at while at the same time keeping it real with lyrics that talked about life in the ghetto. The trial we go through as people are not easy. Our music was supposed to encourage us to see life for what is, then make a change.

What it was never meant to be was some competition with the West Coast. Though I have said this many times before, I feel I need to repeat it today: in my heart there is no East Coast-West Coast Rap War. I do not want it. I do not like it. I will not fuel it. There are enough obstacles we face as a people already. There is no reason for us to turn on one another.

What I want to do is talk about where we go from here. While we did not create the conditions that we live in every day, we can definitely do a lot more to be a part of necessary solutions. While as an artist. I see and feel the need to create music about anything and everything, I now realize the power to direct the development of our culture. There is no escaping my responsibility. I must be accountable to today's youth. My music must provide the young not only with the reality of life, it must serve as an inspiration for us to create a better life. My words come from the heart.

So to insure that Notorious BIG's album Life After Death has some type of positive impact on youth, I will use a portion of my profits from the album to open the Christopher Wallace Youth Center-an educational and recreational place to be located in Brooklyn, NY. I am willing to sacrifice profits to make a change. I will also take time off to evaluate my role in music and life.

Christopher Wallace aka Notorious BIG you will always be in my prayers along with all of the urban youth who lives were ripped away by senseless violence. It is time for a change.