Magno studios, located directly next door to Quad Studios where Tupac Shakur was shot in an elevator by thugs he thought were sent by Notorious B.I.G. screened his new biopic, "Notorious," to a select audience of scribes and fans recently.

The film boasts an all-star cast with Derek Luke as Puff Daddy, Anthony Mackie as Tupac, and Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, B.I.G.'s mother.

The George Tillman Jr. film follows the late rapper from childhood to that fateful day in L.A., and captures the sadness of the east coast/west coast rivalry, the backdrop for the murders of both B.I.G and Tupac, which brought the hip-hop world to its knees.

Produced by his mother Voletta Wallace, and former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, the trio wanted to ensure that the biopic showed Biggie Smalls as the incomparable artist that he was, and also illustrated the things audiences never saw: the father, son, husband and friend.

"Thematically we wanted to present who he was as a human being and let the music be a split second behind, but have enough energy behind the music to make people comeback and discover it," said Tillman.

Biggie Smalls was one of the greatest to ever do it. He has become one of hip-hop's biggest legends, still inspiring legions of emcees today. Although B.I.G. only recorded two albums, each was dense with humor, violence, sex, and introspection that spoke to the streets and invigorated hip-hop. He didn't give many interviews, becoming an enigma to people that only knew his music. But for those who knew him well, he was funny, loyal and had a playboy's charm.

The film Notorious tells the story of B.I.G.'s journey from a crack-slinging adolescent in Brooklyn to the King of Hip-Hop. He only lived to see 24, but he touched so many people in his short life. Not only did he leave millions of fans in his wake, but the people who knew him the best were deeply influenced by his presence. The movie isn't only about his road to stardom, but also about the people who loved him the most.

Casting the perfect Notorious B.I.G. was no easy feat. Open auditions were held nationwide, but it wasn't until the filmmakers came to Brooklyn that they found the man that could do for Biggie what Jamie Foxx did for Ray Charles. Jamal Woolard, a Brooklyn rapper known as Gravy, stands at a hulky 6'3" and 340 lbs. His quiet, non-chalant demeanor and Bed-Stuy attitude made him the front runner up for the part.

Since Jamal had never acted before, he studied the details of B.I.G.'s life down to the smallest nuances and represented Big perfectly with every step.

"I had to make sure I perfected all his movements and his body language," said Woolard. "When to be Christopher, when to be Biggie, when to be Notorious. How to talk down to Kim and look up to Faith, how to apologize, how to meet eye to eye only with D-Rock, how to talk to my moms, how to look up to Puffy, to be vulnerable around Puffy, how to be 'that dude' around my peers, how to keep the chin up and the face twisted. I had to make sure the movements were right and master it."

Notorious captured the aspects of Biggie that many never got to see. "Heart throb, never, black and ugly as ever," Biggie would turn up the charm and have women fist-fighting over him. He was cold and callus on the streets of Brooklyn, selling crack to a pregnant woman then grimaced, "I ain't no f***ing social worker."

B.I.G. was also a man who adored his mother, and his wife and children. He was a loyal friend and one of the greatest emcees of all-time. The film brings back the stress and chaos of the east coast/west coast rivalry, which led to the aggrandized late 90s of shiny suits and bling era. Biggie's influence on hip-hop is unsurpassed and he will always be a monumental figure and we will always love Big Poppa.

"Notorious" hit theaters Friday, January 16th.