Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When he released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast scene and increased New York City's visibility. On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc album "Life After Death", released 16 days later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond.