Primary Wave Reportedly Explores Notorious B.I.G. Catalog Deal

The Notorious B.I.G. estate is reportedly in talks to sell a variety of intellectual property for upwards of $150 million.

Rumblings of that sizable transaction just recently entered the media spotlight. But at the time of writing, the famed rapper’s estate didn’t appear to have commented publicly on the matter.

Despite the absence of a clear-cut confirmation, however, we aren’t without worthwhile details. Most immediately, the possible sale has emerged a little over a week following the passing of Notorious B.I.G.’s mother.

Voletta Wallace played a significant role in managing Biggie’s estate, body of work, and NIL rights, we noted towards last month’s conclusion. And the artist’s children, T’yanna Wallace and C. J. Wallace, are now 31 and 28 years old, respectively.

In other words, the sale rumor’s timing is interesting – as is the reported buyer at hand, Primary Wave.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, which cited anonymous and purportedly well-informed sources, the Notorious B.I.G. estate is “close” to finalizing the rights sale with the New York City-headquartered company.

While Primary Wave didn’t respond to a request for comment (or otherwise confirm the rumor) in time for publishing, the business isn’t a stranger to partnering with prominent professionals’ estates.

Though the marathon legal battle surrounding James Brown’s IP jumps out here, Primary Wave last year wrapped several such plays, including with the estates of Scott Weiland, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ric Ocasek, sans legal friction.

Furthermore, the company has been targeting not only core song rights, but name, image, and likeness rights as well. Running with the point, the above-mentioned outlet identified a possible $100 million price tag for Biggie’s publishing and a potential recordings-interest sale value of between $30 million and $50 million.

The Biggie estate would include NIL rights on both sides, which would reportedly see Primary Wave take a 50% interest in the IP.

All told, that implies a $260 million to $300 million overall valuation – a massive figure that should, admittedly, be taken with a grain of salt – and underscores the catalog arena’s still-strong investor demand.

In February alone, Warner Music scooped up a controlling interest in the Tempo Music catalog JV, Reservoir Media bought dance label New State, T-Pain inked a catalog-sale agreement with HarbourView Equity, and reports attached a $350 million price tag to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ rumored recordings divestment.

And in presumably unrelated Notorious B.I.G. news, the Biggie estate, after concluding a lengthy copyright confrontation in January 2024, kicked off February 2025 by launching an infringement lawsuit centering on the “King of New York” photo.