The estate of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. has filed a lawsuit against several major retailers for selling unauthorized merchandise bearing his iconic “King of New York” image. This image, which was taken just days before his tragic death in 1997, has become one of the most recognized portraits of the legendary rapper, also known as Christopher Wallace.
Inside the Legal Drama
The Brooklyn, New York, artist was just 24 when who was murdered on March 9, 1997, in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles just two weeks before his second album, “Life After Death,” was released.
Filed in federal court on Feb. 4, the lawsuit lists retail giants Target, Home Depot, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond as defendants. The case alleges that these retailers sold canvas prints featuring the “King of New York” photograph, taken by photographer Barron Claiborne. The photograph depicts Biggie wearing a plastic gold crown against a red backdrop.
The estate, represented by Notorious BIG LLC, claims that the prints were created and sold by iCanvas, a company that allegedly disregarded intellectual property rights and failed to seek proper authorization for the use of Biggie’s image, Billboard reports. The lawsuit accuses the company of exploiting Biggie’s likeness to capitalize on his fame and financial value.
The lawsuit claims that iCanvas sold unauthorized prints of Biggie’s image for over eight years and that the involved retailers, including Home Depot, Nordstrom, and Target, only removed the items from their shelves after being contacted in 2023. However, Bed Bath & Beyond and iCanvas allegedly continue to sell the prints.
Unauthorized use of celebrity images often come up in court. “Any person who knowingly uses another’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods or services, without such person’s prior consent…shall be liable for any damages sustained by the person or persons injured as a result thereof,” according to copyright law firm Vondran Legal.
This lawsuit is not the first time the Notorious B.I.G. estate — which as of 2023 was valued at around $160 million and is managed by his mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, Faith Evans — has taken action over unauthorized use of the rapper’s image. In 2019, the estate sued hip-hop photographer Chi Modu over another famous Biggie image, eventually reaching a settlement.
