David McIntyre, a Scotsman, moved to New York over 20 years ago as a photographer. His first big break came when Interview magazine, founded by Andy Warhol, tasked him a photoshoot with rapper Notorious B.I.G. Portraits were shot on Jay St. as McIntyre captured Biggie's grand aura the world had not yet noticed, specifically because his debut album 'Ready to Die' would release in the next few months. In September 1994 his album released and in November 1994 Interview published its article including only one of McIntyre's images from the photoshoot. The following three years up to Biggie's death in 1997 saw his music, brand, and persona reach unimagined popularity making him the King of New York, and McIntyre's prints very valuable. Unfortunately for the photographer he lost the negatives from the shoot after delivering a few to Interview's art department. 21 years later McIntyre found them in the inside pocket of a jacket destined for Goodwill.
Today scarcity of original Biggie Smalls photographs motivates David McIntyre to present a KickStarter campaign to create an exhibition for the never before seen photographs of the Brooklyn artist. 15 photos printed larger than life will match B.I.G.'s spirit he accurately describes in "Mo Money Mo Problems", "I'm bigger than the city lights down in Times Square". The intriguing quality of the project is the pictures' minimalist aesthetic, the visuals highlight Biggie before he got big-- McIntyre notes how on the day of the shoot Biggie declined a makeup artist and the two conducted the photoshoot alone, no bodyguards, no management or handlers. In an interview with DJBooth McIntyre says, "No one can deny the pictures of an extraordinary man. Even if the pictures are ordinary he is extraordinary." Learn more and support David McIntyre's Biggie Smalls: The Man Who Would be King exhibition on his KickStarter page.