Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
For many children, getting out from under their parents shadow is a stepping stone to self-discovery and independence. But what if your father was Notorious B.I.G.? For T’yanna Wallace, she is paving her own way to make a name for herself other than being just “Biggie’s daughter”.
Wallace states that her father’s musical talents were never passed down to her and that she doesn’t know how to rap or sing. By her sophomore year of college she turned to fashion.
By 2013, she turned her dreams into a reality by launching her own fashion line, Notoriouss, and launching herself from underneath her father’s shadow. In an interview Wallace states, “‘I want people to know me as T’yanna Wallace the fashion designer not just Biggie’s daughter and I feel like I’m finally getting to that place’”.
Photo by James Devaney/GC Images
Notoriouss was not the first name that Wallace had selected for her clothing line. She says, “‘I didn’t want people to see Notorious and be like oh it’s a Biggie line. That’s why added the extra ‘s’”. While the line was inspired by her late father, the brand is really a representation of her. It focuses on street wear pieces that you can wear every day or even dress up for a night on the town.
Growing up she was told that she is just like her father. Being around his family and friends helped her to get a true sense of who he was, despite that he was not around to raise her. The rapper was shot in Los Angeles, CA in 1997 when Wallace was just three-years-old.
Living in your parents shadow can be hard for any child, especially when your father is a public figure like Biggie. T’yanna Wallace did not let her father’s name stop her from paving her own way and accomplishing her own goals. Wallace honors her father every year on March 9th with a limited edition t-shirt or a special collaboration piece. Her next goal is to open a Notoriouss store in Brooklyn, NY by the end of this year.
TELL US: Was Biggie and Tupac’s beef was manipulated by the media?
Like TV One on Facebook and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
