Biggie, purportedly, was inspired by an article penned by Khary Kimani Turner (under the pseudonym KT) in the hip hop magazine The Source.
A lack of economic opportunity forced urbanites to turn to selling drugs and other illicit forms of employment to make ends meet and provide for their families.
These two factors encouraged both The Source and rappers to discuss drug-dealing in the way that promoted physical and fiscal security without discouraging dealers to stop selling drugs.
[2] The song also includes samples from "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy, Countdown by Keith Murray, and "Vallarta" by Les McCann, and interpolates the structure of the Ten Commandments.
The Swedish underground hip hop group The Keffat Liv paid homage with the song "10 Barn Commandments" from their album Vassego o skölj.