In the wake of the tragic murder of the Notorious B.I.G. in March 1997, Sean Combs orchestrated an extravagant farewell for the legendary rapper. However, it has come to light that he subsequently billed the entire expense of Biggie’s funeral back to his estate, as revealed by Bad Boy co-founder Kirk Burrowes in a recent Netflix documentary titled Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Burrowes recounted how Combs presented himself as the benefactor of the elaborate funeral arrangements, while secretly planning to recoup the costs from Biggie’s estate. “He was going to make the funeral a recoupable charge to Biggie in death,” Burrowes stated. “Sean’s grand gestures look good publicly, but he wasn’t about to disclose that Biggie would ultimately be footing the bill.”
The Notorious B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was fatally shot in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, a mere six months after his friend-turned-rival Tupac Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas. While Shakur’s case is surrounded by ongoing legal proceedings, with gang leader Duane “Keefe D” Davis facing trial next year, Wallace’s murder remains an open investigation.
On March 18, 1997, thousands gathered to honor Biggie as his coffin was transported through Brooklyn, with the Bad Boy family in attendance, including Wallace’s widow, Faith Evans, and his group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. The funeral, held at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on the Upper East Side, was a star-studded affair.
Burrowes also disclosed that Combs attempted to alter the terms of Wallace’s recording contract after his passing. “Sean wanted me to revise the agreement to be more beneficial for Bad Boy, without informing Wallace’s family or mother,” he recalled. “He wanted those changes to be made subtly within the original contract. I firmly refused, stating, ‘That’s not right. I’m not doing it.’” Following this incident, Burrowes was dismissed from his position.
In a further revelation, Burrowes shared that during discussions for a Rolling Stone cover in 1997, Combs prioritized his own image over honoring Wallace. “I was advocating for Biggie to be featured on the cover, emphasizing that Sean would have more opportunities in the future,” he recalled. “But Sean insisted, ‘No, he’s dead. I need to be on the cover of Rolling Stone to promote my debut album, No Way Out, releasing in July.’”
These revelations shed light on the complexities and controversies surrounding the legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. and the actions of those close to him during a tumultuous time in hip hop history.
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