The Newark boy is one of more than 1,300 children and teens killed by a gun so far in 2023 as firearms remain the top cause of death for US youth, according to the Gun Violence Archive and federal data.
When Frank Waln raps onstage, he is dripping head to toe in his culture. His long, braided hair frames his face, and Lakota jewelry gifted by relatives and fans hangs from his ears – usually porcupine quills or buffalo bones – as hand-woven bracelets wrap around both wrists.
In the 50-year history of hip-hop, there have never been two stars whose lives – and deaths – have been more examined than Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, the rapper known professionally as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls.