The Musket Room Goes BIG

Early this month Fumero went back to The Musket Room at 275 Elizabeth Ave. in NoLita, north of Little Italy, a neighborhood in Manhattan near Soho. This is the 3rd year he was invited back by chef-owner, Matt Lambert, to create a new mural for 2015.

Recently he was asked why he chose to do Biggie Smalls, his third mural rendition of his portrait. This was his answer:

I have painted Biggie as a mural 3 different times and 3 different ways. He is a recurring subject matter for me. I think of him as the John Lennon of the 90’s. Both of them were assassinated still in the prime of their lives. As a member of The Beatles, Lennon was a musical pioneer and legend changing Rock music forever. In the same regard Biggie was a pioneer and legend with his rhyme style. Biggie Smalls’ lyrical flow changed the way we listened to Hip Hop and his legacy has inspired artists almost 20 years after his death. I paint so I can be remembered when I’m gone, Biggie is gone and should be remembered. That is why I painted him and will paint him again somewhere else at another time in the future. – Fumero