Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G, Biggie Smalls, or simply B.I.G, was an American rapper who greatly influenced the hip hop scene in the early to mid-1990s.
Nicknamed "big" as a child, he surely grew into his name as an adult. He was an imposing figure for his time, clearly standing over average height.
But what was his real height? Let's get to the bottom of this by investigating all things height-related and also comparing his height to some other celebs of the time.
How Tall Was he Really?
When comparing B.I.G's height to his peers, and also taking into consideration his footwear, posture and autopsy report, it becomes clear he stood around 6'1.75" (187.3 cm) tall.
Food for Thought
Posture & Weight
Biggie weighed around 400 pounds, which is very heavy for a man of his height. This would compress the spine and also influence walking with a slouched posture, which would mean he would appear shorter than his real height.
So, with his thicker footwear making him look taller, and stooped posture making him appear shorter, things become more complicated to judge!
This will be taken into consideration for the final verdict.
His Footwear
In contrast to celebs who choose thin style footwear, Biggie's choice of footwear was almost always thick Timberland boots. These boots often helped him gain 1.4 inches of height, which is over the average compared to regular footwear, which usually provides around 1 inch of height.
Therefore in footwear he could give off the impression of being around half an inch taller than he really was, standing comfortably in the 6'2" range.
Evidence on Paper
Mugshot
Biggie's mugshot has him nearing 74 inches, or 6'2" tall. However, this is unreliable evidence of his height, as depending on the distance of the camera and the angle it is pointed, the height of the subject will change.
In this instance, the camera was pointed up at him, making him look taller, but at the same time, he was not standing straight in the photo, making him shorter than his real height.
Autopsy Report
In 1997, Biggie's autopsy report stated his height was 74 inches or 6'2" and weight at 395 pounds. Yet, This could have been a rounded up or down height measurement. We also have to take into consideration that when lying down the discs in the spine will stretch out, and you may measure slightly taller.
However, this seems like a fairly accurate measurement.
Height Comparisons
Let's take a look at how Biggies height stacked up against some of his celebrity peers from the 1990s.
At the time of the height comparisons below Timberland brand boots were represented in the rap game. These give roughly 1.4 inches of height, and in the photos I have used to make the height comparisons the footwear worn is roughly equal in height.
Nas 5'8" (172.7 cm)
In photos of them together, the top of Nas's head comes up to an inch under Biggies his eyes. This puts him in the region of 5.5 inches shorter, and places Biggie at roughly 6'1.5" tall.
Method Man 6'3" (190.5 cm)
Method Man clearly looks taller than Biggie in pictures. I would say he appears a comfortable 2 inches taller. This places B.I.G at roughly 6'1-6'1.5" tall.
P. Diddy 5'10.25" (178.4 cm)
Diddy is commonly pictured with Biggie, and is one of the strongest comparisons for an accurate height listing. The top of his head raises around an inch above Biggie's eye level. There is a constant 3.5 inch difference between the pair, placing Biggie around 6'1.75 inches tall.
Jay Z 6'1.5" (186.7 cm)
Jay Z and Biggie look very similar in height. If anything I would say Biggie was slightly taller in the music videos and pics I have seen, but this is by half an inch. In this case, he appears around 6'2" tall.
With his peers, Biggie constantly looks anywhere from 6 feet 1 to 6 feet 2 inches tall. I believe that his height lies somewhere in-between these numbers.
To Conclude
Before researching this article I thought Biggie Smalls was around the 6'3" mark. However, after closely comparing him with other celebs, he sometimes appears closer to 6'1", but more often than not closer to 6'2".
Accounting for his heavy frame and slightly stooped posture, when standing straight I believe through the majority of the working day he would stand just shy of 6'2". Therefore I will list him here at 6'1.75" (187.3 cm) tall on this page.
Heights Related to Biggie Smalls
- Faith Evans, Wife, 5'6" (167.6 cm)
- C. J. Wallace, Son, 5'8.5" (174 cm)
- Diddy, Friend/Manager, 5'10.25" (178.4 cm)
- Lil Cease, Friend/Associate, 5'5" (165.1 cm)
- Lil Kim, Friend/Associate, 4'10" (147.3 cm)
- Tupac Shakur, Associate/Rival, 5'9.5 (176.5 cm)