--- description: The late Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace will posthumously receive the ASCAP Founders Award title: Notorious B.I.G. to Posthumously Receive ASCAP Founders Award image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa2482b3d9e89e86/6988d0047cdbaca610d589ac/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-award.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Music](/tag/music/) ## Music Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Notorious B.I.G. Will Posthumously Receive ASCAP Founders Award by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 2, 2017 10:38 PM CUT  Notorious B.I.G. 1995 Notorious B.I.G. 1995Chris Walter—WireImage by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jun 2, 2017 10:38 PM CUT The late [Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace](http://time.com/4344094/brooklyn-christopher-notorious-big-wallace-day/ "undefined") will posthumously receive an honor from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in the year that marks the 20th anniversary of the rap icon’s death. ASCAP will bestow Wallace with its Founders Award during its 30th annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on June 22\. His mother, Voletta Wallace, wife Faith Evans, children, former managers and estate consultants will accept the award on Wallace’s behalf. Wallace, a hip hop legend, was [fatally shot](http://time.com/4698624/new-york-congressman-hakeem-jefferies-rap-biggie-lyrics/ "undefined") in 1997. “Biggie was a legend in his own time and his legacy lives on through his music,” ASCAP president Paul Williams said in a [statement](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/notorious-big-to-be-honored-posthumously-with-esteemed-ascap-founders-award-at-30th-annual-ascap-rhythm--soul-music-awards-on-june-22nd-in-los-angeles-300467452.html "undefined"). “Like all songwriters, he was a master storyteller, but it was the realism in his rhymes that captured so many.” The ASCAP Founders Award honors songwriters and composers who contribute pioneering works to music. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4804057/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-founders-award/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4804057/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-founders-award/"},"headline":"Notorious B.I.G. Will Posthumously Receive ASCAP Founders Award","datePublished":"2017-06-02T22:38:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T05:14:49.070Z","description":"His family and associates will accept the award on his behalf","url":"https://time.com/4804057/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-founders-award/","keywords":["Music","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa2482b3d9e89e86/6988d0047cdbaca610d589ac/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-award.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa2482b3d9e89e86/6988d0047cdbaca610d589ac/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-award.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Music File Photos 1990's","caption":"Music File Photos 1990's","creditText":"Chris Walter—WireImage","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/music/","name":"Music"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4804057/notorious-big-christopher-wallace-ascap-founders-award/","name":"Notorious B.I.G. Will Posthumously Receive ASCAP Founders Award"}}]}] ```