Ten
years after his still-unsolved murder, the Notorious B.I.G. continues to make
an impact on the music charts.The
wordsmith’s latest posthumous release, Greatest Hits, debuted at number
one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts this week
with sales of nearly 100,000 units."No
one expected Biggie to enter at number one on the Billboard charts this
week, not even myself," said Bad Boy CEO Sean "Diddy" Combs. "This
is a true testament to the historic impact he has had on the lives of music lovers.
Numbers don’t lie – Biggie is the greatest and he still has the greatest fans."The
ranking represents the third number one album for B.I.G., who was killed March
9, 1997. "Everything
my son was a part of has been golden," said B.I.G.’s mother Voletta Wallace.
"For his presence to be felt ten years after his murder, as if he was still
here today, is very touching and overwhelming. The fans have really shown their
love for my son throughout the years, and I appreciate each and every one of them
for their continued support, love, and respect of his art, music, and life! Blessings!!!"Greatest
Hits celebrates the life of B.I.G. with a career spanning collection of his
best known songs, including "Juicy," "One More Chance," "Big
Poppa," "Notorious Thugs," "Ten Crack Commandments,"
"Dead Wrong" and "Hypnotize." In
addition, the album features two unreleased tracks, "Running Your Mouth"
and "Want That Old Thing Back."Greatest
Hits is the follow-up to RIAA platinum-certified Duets: The Final Chapter,
which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The
new album is the third consecutive Bad Boy release to enter the charts at number
one, following Danity Kane’s self-titled debut and Comb’s Press Play.