Brooklyn Mint, the clothing line launched by the late Notorious B.I.G. in 1996,
will debut during the Magic Convention from February 14th-18th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Under the watchful eye of B.I.G.’s managers Mark Pitts
and Wayne Barrow, Brooklyn Mint will drop several T-Shirts with images of B.I.G.
with the approval of B.I.G’s mother, Voletta Wallace.
"Brooklyn Mint serves as a vehicle for the consumer to
participate in the legacy of B.I.G. while dismissing cultural boundaries and
delivering new innovative standards in fashion," co-founders Mark Pitts
and Wayne Barrow said in a statement.
Jay-Z, who helped Brooklyn Mint secure their present deal, also
lent his image to one of the T-shirts, titled “Brooklyn’s Finest.”
Additionally, a portion of the “Brooklyn’s Finest”
T-Shirt will be donated to The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation and Jay-Z’s
Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.
"The sportswear line, which represents the legacy of the
rap legend, will take its inspiration from the life-style, culture & diversity
of Brooklyn,” Pitts and Barrow added.
The full line will be available in 2006. B.I.G., born Christopher
Wallace, was gunned down in Los Angeles in March of 1997.
Despite being one of the biggest selling rappers, his murder
– which was witnessed by dozens of people – has never been solved.
In addition to
his Brooklyn Mint line, B.I.G. had plans to start a fast food chain called Big
Poppa’s Chicken and Waffle Shop as well as a business with fellow rapper
Heavy D. called Big and Heavy Men’s Store.