February 09, 2005 - While his languid tongue was what initially brought him fame, Notorious B.I.G also started a clothing line back in 1996. Named Brooklyn Mint, the rapper never got the opportunity to see his fashion designs fully developed before his untimely death.

Now, through the commitment and vision of his mother Ms. Voletta Wallace and his managers Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, the Brooklyn Mint dream will finally come to fruition. "It was important that we identified the right partner," said Barrow about the timing for the line. "We had to have someone who understood our vision and passion to materialize the brand."

The Brooklyn Mint line of sportswear will draw inspiration from the diverse life style and culture of Brooklyn. The first installment of the line will debut in the form of Brooklyn Mint T-shirts. These shirts will will debut during the Magic Convention which is being held in Las Vegas between February 14th to February 18th. The t-shirts will become available to the public on March 9th, 2005 with the full line of Brooklyn Mint clothing debuting in 2006.

Fellow rapper and New York icon Jay-Z assisted in securing the deal for Brooklyn Mint and also granted the brand his image to be utilized on one of the first T-shirts for the line. Proceeds from the "Brooklyn's Finest" T- shirt will be donated to B.I.G's Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation and Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.