This Two-Story Biggie Smalls Mural In Bed-Stuy Is Being Held Hostage For $1250 Per Month

There is perhaps no artist more synonymous with the New York City borough of Brooklyn than iconic rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, among other things). His clever, vivid lyrics and unparalleled ferocious-yet-measured flow helped put Bedford-Stuyvesant, Biggie’s native neighborhood, on the map in the mid 1990’s. That was back when Brooklyn looked more like the violent frontier detailed in songs like “Warning” and “I Got A Story To Tell,” and less like the hipster-ized extension of lower Manhattan that we know today.

As it has with virtually every neighborhood in the City, the forward march of gentrification has methodically changed the face of Brooklyn over the past two decades. As the costs of rent and real estate in heart of the city soar skyward, people are displaced and move further toward the outer boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens where costs are lower. Gradually, the influx of “transplants” transforms the face of a given neighborhood, as corporate interests recognize the paradigm shift and move into the new area. Prices in those areas go up in turn, and the people who had been living there are forced further outward–continuing gentrification’s ripple effect.

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While decreases in crime and the beautification of downtrodden neighborhoods are objectively positive effects of gentrification, they are underscored by the whitewashing of these areas’ unique native character. While Bed-Stuy was far from a desirable place to live in Biggie’s day, it is now a sought-after area for young, predominantly white tenants. The prices remain relatively reasonable compared to other areas in Brooklyn, and with the influx of the gentrifying population, the violent, dangerous aspects of the neighborhood have diminished considerably.

As the city continues to change, natives across the 5 boroughs have made efforts to retain the character that once defined their given neighborhoods. In Bed-Stuy, several artists have painted large-scale murals to commemorate their native son The Notorious B.I.G. and show all who come through those streets that they haven’t forgotten where they came from. However, though art can often outlast gentrification for a time, the dollar still reigns supreme. Eventually, the fight for the soul of a neighborhood comes head-to-head with financial interests.

This week, word has surfaced on the web that a towering Biggie mural painted on a building at the corner of Bedford Ave. and Quincy St. will be removed as the landlord adds extra windows to facilitate an increase in his property’s rent. The two-story high piece, entitled “King of NY,” was painted by Naoufal “Rocko” Alaoui and Scott “Zimer” Zimmerman of art collective Spread Art NYC in 2015 and has drawn large crowds ever since. When they heard of the mural’s impending destruction, Spread Art NYC attempted to stop the painting’s removal, offering to pay the building owner $5000 (collected via donation) to stop the installation of the windows. However, their request was denied, as the building’s owner countered their offer with a $1250 monthly rate to keep the mural intact. The art collective explained the situation in an Instagram post, which you can read below: