Biggie, give 'em one more chance

Producers of the film "Notorious" have finally found the man to play one the greatest MCs ever to grace a vocal booth: Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace.

Fellow Brooklyn rapper Jamal Woolard — better known on the mixtape circuit as Gravy — has landed the coveted role. While other entertainers such as Beanie Sigel, West Coast rapper Guerilla Black and even Sean Kingston had expressed interest in the part, the producers conducted an exhaustive search, auditioning thousands of men across the country.

Derek Luke will play Sean "Diddy" Combs, while Anthony Mackie has been cast as Tupac Shakur. Angela Bassett is set to appear as Mrs. Wallace. Former 3LW member Naturi Naughton has also been given an as-yet-unspecified role in the film, which begins filming in New York this month with director George Tillman and is slated for release January 16, 2009.