The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was primarily signed to Bad Boy Records, founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs (then known as Puff Daddy). Biggie signed with Bad Boy Records in 1993, marking the beginning of a partnership that would help define 1990s hip-hop.

Before signing to Bad Boy, Biggie had been making waves in the Brooklyn hip-hop scene through freestyle battles and demo tapes. His demo caught the attention of Diddy, who was working as an A&R executive at Uptown Records at the time. When Diddy left Uptown to start Bad Boy Records, he made signing Biggie one of his first priorities.

Under Bad Boy Records, Biggie released two studio albums during his lifetime:

• Ready to Die (1994)
• Life After Death (1997) - Released posthumously, just 16 days after his death

While Bad Boy Records was Biggie's primary label, it's worth noting that the label had a distribution deal with Arista Records, which helped expand the reach of his music. This partnership allowed for wider distribution and marketing of Biggie's releases across the United States and internationally.

Biggie remained with Bad Boy Records throughout his entire professional recording career until his tragic death in 1997. His loyalty to the label and close friendship with Diddy helped establish Bad Boy Records as one of the most influential hip-hop labels of the 1990s.

The success of this partnership is reflected in the numbers: both of Biggie's studio albums went multi-platinum, with "Life After Death" achieving Diamond certification from the RIAA for sales of over 10 million copies in the United States alone.

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