When Notorious B.I.G. fans think of the rapper's son, CJ Wallace, many envision the baby who was just five-months-old when the music icon was shot and killed in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old is a young businessman making a name for himself outside of being the celebrity seed of Biggie Smalls and Faith Evans, and he has his eyes on the cannabis industry.
Along with his co-founders Willie Mack and Todd Russaw (Evans' ex-husband who helped raise Wallace), Wallace has launched Think Big, a company that is encouraging a social movement to spread awareness and use of cannabis as a tool for "creativity, contemplation, and healing." Wallace told Esquire, "I got to talk to my uncle...I think he was actually the first person my dad smoked weed with, and I found out that we actually smoked weed around the same age. I was 16. His first experience was way cooler than mine, in Jamaica. You know, in his homeland. I can only imagine the experience that he had. And he was with family, so he was probably very comfortable."
Speaking about his introduction to weed with Forbes, Wallace said he remembered smelling it as a child. "My mom and both of my fathers used it. There was a place where my parents would smoke and I could smell it coming up from the studio when they were working." However, as he grew up, he also saw the health benefits of cannabis, as well. "My little brother, Ryder, has non-verbal autism and through research, my family heard about Jayden’s Juice and other CBD products for kids with epilepsy and autism. Watching him calm down and be less frustrated when trying to express himself was the big sign of cannabis being used for medicine, and that solidified my belief in the powers of the cannabis and hemp plants."
Think Big collaborated with Lowell Herb Co. to release their first cannabis product called The Frank White Creative Blend. It's named after Biggie's alter ego "Frank White," a persona based on Christopher Walken's character in King of New York. It's described as a "signature sun-grown California cannabis, custom blended with Orange Sherbet, Banjo, and Rattlesnake Sour Diesel."
"Some of the strains made us more talkative or too sleepy, and with The Frank White Creative Blend, we wanted something that made you feel both relaxed and energized—something that helps you be your most creative," Wallace said. He also wants to get some hip hop moguls in on the mix, too. "[I've got] so many different people in my head that I really want to work with," he said. 'Just figuring out what's the right way. Puff is on the list, of course Jay is on the list. But you know, we want to make sure it's done right. So, you know, we've got some great ideas coming."