B.I.G. is commonly said to stand for “Business Instead of Game” in Notorious B.I.G.’s name. Some interviews and later retellings also mention other meanings he used at different times, like “Bullet In the Gut,” so the phrase wasn’t fixed to just one official expansion.

Quick Scoop

  • Most sources point to Business Instead of Game as the best-known meaning.
  • Biggie also reportedly joked that it later stood for Bullet In the Gut in at least one 1995 interview.
  • Other explanations exist, including Books Instead of Guns , but those are usually presented as alternate interpretations rather than the main one.

The simplest answer: B.I.G. usually means “Business Instead of Game.”

TL;DR: B.I.G. = “Business Instead of Game” most of the time, with a few alternate meanings mentioned in stories about his name.