Alex Grigg animates Steve Stoute’s homage to Biggie Smalls

Animation director Alex Grigg is a man on the rise. Newly signed to Blinkink, Alex recently moved to Florence, Italy, where he has no doubt spent the summer enthralled by one of the most beautiful cities in the world. That’s not to say he hasn’t been hard at work though: consider his latest release Dear B.I.G.

Narrated with a voiceover written and voiced by Steve Stoute, the American author of The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy, the animation is a homage to Biggie Smalls, telling the story of Biggie’s part in hip hops rise. “A B.I.G song told the world the hard truths of growing up with all the odds stacked against you,” Steve claims. “You demonstrated the dichotomy of being black in America in a way that was inclusive and awe inspiring. So what does the world look like to you now?” asks the minute-long animation.

Visually, Dear B.I.G uses a black, white, red and yellow colour palette and a sketchy style which bears the hand of the maker to lay emphasis on elements of the voiceover through literal executions and the near-omnipresent metaphor of Biggie’s iconic crown. The animation was made on the occasion of Biography Channel documentary Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.

The animation was made with entertainment company, Sunshine to celebrate the Biography Channel documentary Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.