Biggie's Own C.J. Wallace, Willie Mack's Fight To Legalize Cannabis, Celebrate Black Culture And Creativity

More than a year ago, I heard C.J. Wallace, son of Christopher “The Notorious BIG” Wallace, was getting into the cannabis industry. People told me his organization, Think BIG, was cool as hell. But after looking into it, I could not (for the life of me) figure out what it did. I think C.J. and his partner, creative genius Willie Mack, seemed to be still in the formative stages.

At the time, they had launched a limited edition line of cannabis with one of the leading companies in the space. However – they told me at the time, they knew Think BIG had to be about much more than just selling good weed. It needed to be about doing good.

Going BIG

Over a year has gone by, and C.J. and Willie’s lives have changed.

“A year ago, I didn’t really see what we’re doing now,” C.J. acknowledged during a recent conversation. “I understood the importance of reinvestment into all of the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs and an unfair criminal justice system. I knew the social equity piece and criminal justice reform aspect were going to be huge, key parts of our business. However, at the time, I think I really wanted to have a cannabis product out.”

Biggie and C.J. - Courtesy of Think BIG

As time went by, C.J. became increasingly aware of his privileged position as a black, cannabis entrepreneur with connections, a legacy, a name and a team. How many others could claim this? And so, he reckoned: this force had to be used for a greater good. “This past year has been a great learning experience... You have to evolve,” he explained.

And evolved they have. Think BIG is not just a cannabis company. In reality, Think BIG is a company focused on legalization and criminal/social justice reform.

“Our True North as people and business is global legalization of cannabis and hemp, because legalization forces hard conversations about the roots and enforcement of prohibition and numerous discussions on how to help the people most harmed by prohibition,” said Mack.

Essential Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s realities and priorities, and Think BIG is no exception.

C.J. Wallace and Willie Mack - Courtesy of Think BIG

Right before COVID-19 shut down New York, Think BIG spent a week traveling across the state to meeting with representatives from Governor Cuomo’s office; Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams; the Harlem Business Alliance; and other elected, religious and community leaders. Everyone was committed to cannabis reform and gave C.J., Willie and their coalition of legalization and advocacy partners Jason Ortiz, President of the Minority Business Cannabis Association and cannabis executive and Super Bowl champion Marvin Washington an opportunity to discuss their legalization policy platform.

“It was my first time visiting the State Capital and lobbying for anything, especially cannabis legalization. I was nervous but also very surprised by the reception we got, so many people supporting us and asking for advice. When we were thanked with a standing ovation on the floor of the NY State Assembly for continuing my dad’s legacy and fighting for legalization, that was really overwhelming for both of us.” C.J. said.

Mack added: “It was pretty incredible, everyone from Cuomo’s office and his cannabis Czar, to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, were open to listening to our policy platform. Our advisors Steve DeAngelo from the Last Prisoner Project and Steven Hawkins, from Marijuana Policy Project have been invaluable in helping us understand the issues around criminal justice reform; what social justice and social equity should look like.

C.J. and Willie in D.C. - Courtesy of Think BIG

“We have to free cannabis POW’s, stop the over policing of black and brown communities and lay the groundwork for reinvestment into those communities that were the most harmed by the war on cannabis with grants, advisors, education, job training, economic reinvestment and criminal social justice reforms across the country as we build this new industry.”

For C.J., going to Harlem, Brooklyn, and Queens, as well as sitting with the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucuses, was an eye-opener.

“Listening to what the people in these communities are concerned about and sharing ideas on how to fix the unfair criminal justice system and rebuild communities was something I never could have imagined, I know my dad would be blown away,“ C.J. stated.

And, as adult-use and medical cannabis dispensaries around the country have been deemed essential, during this COVID-19 pandemic, Think BIG’s message of creativity has become more relevant than ever.

“We see COVID killing black and brown people at higher rates and this is related to the same system that keeps us in jail, kills us for jogging, has our women dying at higher rates in childbirth and contributes to the numerous unspoken mental health issues in our communities. We can not talk about criminal justice reform without cannabis legalization. And no Joe Biden, decriminalization is not the answer. Legalization is the only way forward,” Wallace said.

Family First

May 21st would have been Christopher Wallace’s 48th birthday. Earlier this month, he was set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and honored in a nationally televised broadcast on HBO.

Biggie as a kid - Courtesy of Think BIG

C.J., his grandmother Voletta and other iconic collaborators of his fathers were discussing plans for the induction. That celebration has been postponed until November.

See also: Interview: Xzibit On Cannabis, Legalization And His New Brand 'Napalm'

“At the beginning of March, no one could have predicted that a pandemic would shut down society, delay cannabis reform and ruin long deserved celebrations for my father. But life moves on and Think BIG is moving with it,” said Wallace “When the world talks about my dad they talk about his music but they fail to talk about who he was as a young black man in New York with his mom, away from their family in Jamaica during the ‘80 and ‘90’s and how so much of his creativity came out of the struggle of being a black man in misunderstood in this world.“ C.J. realized he needed to understand who Christopher Wallace was — NOT Biggie Smalls — in order to share his dad’s full story with the world.

Over the past few years, Wallace started asking his grandmother, uncles, and his dad’s friends more questions about who his dad was as a child and young man. He spent time going through family photos and his dad’s clothes and personal effects — even retrieving his father’s cane from the LAPD property division. It had been there since the day he was killed.

“When I first met C.J., he was on a personal quest to understand who his dad was. This is at the core of Think BIG. His story is a universal story; everyone wants to understand who we are in relation to our parents. His story is every Disney movie combined with a coming of age story, but it’s also the tale of the King and Prince. C.J. is responsible for continuing the his father’s legacy, a king of music and culture. We get to witness C.J.’s coming of age, which involves him also filling in the second half of the Christopher Wallace story for the world,” explained Mack.

“That’s a heavy burden for anyone to shoulder, especially at the age of 23.”

Happy Birthday FRANK WHITE!

When C.J. and Willie started brainstorming about the future of Think BIG, they always planned to create a lifestyle brand.

“Thinking back, my [other] father, Todd Russaw (the man who raised me) would always play my dad music in the car,” C.J. remembered.

He had once asked C.J. if he knew who Frank White was.

C.J. did not know.

Frank White - Courtesy of Think BIG

“He told me about the film ‘King of New York’ and the main character who was named Frank White. BIG took the name because he was the king of New York in hip hop,” C.J. said. “The name also always stuck with me. It was like John Doe, a non-name that was under the radar and was one of his aliases his closes friends called him. So the Frank White brand is a way to honor him, while also creating something new and my own.

The creation of a “Way of Life” brand (as they call it) was needed, and Frank White was the obvious choice. And so, the Wallace-Mack duo started to look back, to look forward.

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“We saw that creation of jazz was tied to the use of the cannabis plant by Louis Armstrong; it helped him get into the pocket or flow, also known as ‘the zone.’ We also saw that criminalization of this plant and jazz music was tied together as well. White kids enjoying this music with brown kids while using this “drug” was a problem that needed to be solved. So the use of this drug by musicians and minorities became the foundational narrative that led to the prohibition of a plant. We realized they needed to change the narrative on the impact of this plant and get people to think bigger about it as a tool for creativity,” said Mack.

Frank White - Courtesy of Think BIG

“We were like: do you like music? Then you like cannabis? We call cannabis the ultimate ghostwriter, as it was uncredited in the creation of so much music. Maybe it was the artists, band, engineers, writers, producers… Someone was using it as part of their creative process to help rest, relax or reduce stage fright. It helped them flow and connect to create some of the most amazing music in the world from jazz to blues to soul, funk, rock & roll, country, reggae, R&B, and hip hop. It's an incredible tool for creativity, Wallace added. “It was also something my dad and I both loved, as it helped us deal with the stress of being young black men in America.”

For Think BIG, Frank White is a brand that celebrates the triumph of black culture, creativity, and embraces the flow state as the ultimate form of self expression and

freedom. It will consist of an apparel and accessory line, health and wellness products, music and content.

The first project out of the brand will actually be an album inspired by the music of his dad.

Frank White - Courtesy of Think BIG

“I never wanted to do anything with my dad’s music, as it would be expected,” C.J. voiced. “I always heard about tapes, unheard verses, unseen footage, that I would love to work with to create something new, not just music.

“More specifically creative, content to tell his story. It would also fill in missing gaps of who my dad was for me and my sister and I would like to create some new things that honors his impact on the culture in new ways.”

But things changed when C.J. and Willie were connected to some producers and a label who were working on a new project inspired by BIG’s music. It was an instant crush – and ironically enough, it all happened on Valentine's Day.

“We signed on to executive produce and have been working together on the album. The first single will be released in the next few weeks,” C.J. concluded.

Follow @FrankWhiteCo to find out more.

Versión en Español: Proyecto Cannábico de C.J. Wallace, Hijo de Biggie Smalls, Busca Promover la Creatividad y Cultura Negra

This article was originally published on Forbes and appears here with permission.