US Kings Of Rap past and present cross the Atlantic for Madame Tussauds exhibition
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London Theatre Direct
UK artist Chip (previously known as Chipmunk) was at the unveiling of Madame Tussauds' latest waxwork figures yesterday, four US stars who are on a short loan from the New York branch of the chain. Living legends Snoop Dogg and P Diddy aka Puff Daddy, aka Sean John Combs are joined by deceased stars the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur on a short loan for 10 weeks only. They can be seen in the interactive music zone in Madame Tussauds until March 24th.
Chip, who has performed with both of the living stars, performed a special rap he had written especially for the occasion and fans were invited to add lyrics throughout the day on the attraction's Facebook page. He said: "These four were real heroes to me when I was growing up and it’s amazing to be on the stage with them. I can’t get over how much they look like the real thing."
PR Manager at Madame Tussauds Nicole Fenner added: "They make a legendary addition to the music zone and we know fans are going to relish the opportunity to meet these greats. This is a chance they won’t get again, so we hope they make plans to visit soon!" Diddy sports his trademark white with a tailored three piece suit, while ever-sharp The Notorious B.I.G. has a white suit and hat with a black cane. Tupac and Snoop are styled in a more relaxed West Coast style.
Snoop Dogg's hits include Drop It Like It's Hot, Let's Get Blown and Sexual Eruption and the top five 2010 hit Wet, and he has collaborated with artists from Justin Timberlake to The Pussycat Dolls to Mariah Carey. P Diddy founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and enjoyed a high profile romance with Jennifer Lopez as well as setting up his phenomenally successful clothing line Sean John. He had a UK number one in 1997 with I'll Be Missing You in tribute to the passing of Notorious B.I.G who had been signed to his Bad Boy label.
The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was murdered in March 1997 by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting. He is widely considered one of the greatest rap stars of all time, with Allmusic describing him as "the saviour of East Coast hip hop". He scored a posthumous UK number one 8 years after his death in 2005 with Nasty Girl. West Coast star Tupac Shakur was also murdered in a drive by shooting and was famously embroiled in a rivalry with East Coast performers, especially Notorious and Bad Boy Records. As of 2010 he had sold over 75 million records worldwide, most of them after his death. His hits include California Love and Changes, as well as his 2005 posthumous UK number one featuring Elton John, Ghetto Gospel.
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