← Back to Behind The Art

Every journey has a beginning.

For me, this painting was the beginning of something much bigger than I could have imagined.

Biggie was the very first painting I created while streaming on Twitch. In many ways, Biggie wasn't just the first painting of Tha Block—he was the beginning of Tha Block itself. To this day, it remains one of my favorites and one of my best-selling pieces.

The story actually starts a few days before September 14, 2015, the day I officially launched Tha Block on Twitch.

One day, someone left a stack of old canvases outside my front door. Mixed in with the pile was a large, worn Ikea painting. Most people would have looked at it and seen something ready for the trash. I saw a blank canvas and an opportunity.

At the time, I wasn't much of a Twitch fan. I thought it was just a platform for gamers. But while searching for a new game one day, I noticed Twitch had added Music and Art categories. Out of curiosity, I started exploring.

What I found changed everything.

I spent weeks studying other artists, learning what worked, what didn't, what I liked, and what I thought I could do differently. With the help of what I call "YouTube University," I figured out how to stream, bought a Snowball microphone, created a name for the channel, and prepared to take a chance on something completely new.

Looking back, the setup was about as humble as it gets.

My first easel was a chair.

My first streaming computer was an older MacBook with a built-in camera.

There was no studio. No fancy equipment. No roadmap.

Just a willingness to learn, create, and figure things out one day at a time.

Now I needed a painting.

I chose Biggie.

Why?

Because Biggie wasn't just a rapper.

He was one of the greatest storytellers Hip-Hop has ever produced.

He had a unique ability to paint pictures with words. Every verse felt like a movie scene. Every story was so vivid you could see it unfolding in your mind as he rapped. As a visual artist, that's something I deeply connected with. He used words the way I use paint.

There was another connection too.

Biggie was a big guy.

I'm a big guy.

And there was something relatable about seeing someone embrace exactly who they were and turn it into a strength rather than a limitation.

What makes Biggie's story both inspiring and heartbreaking is how much he accomplished in such a short amount of time. Like Tupac, he was taken from the world far too young. Both were just getting started. It's impossible not to wonder what they might have created had they been given more time.

To me, Biggie represents what can happen when extraordinary talent meets belief, opportunity, and the right team. His success wasn't built on image alone. It was built on raw ability, relentless creativity, and people who recognized greatness and helped cultivate it.

That combination transformed him into one of the most recognizable and influential storytellers Hip-Hop has ever known.

The painting itself became more than a portrait.

It became the first chapter of Tha Block.

What started as a discarded canvas, an old MacBook, a chair for an easel, a new streaming platform, and a lot of determination became a creative journey that continues to this day.

More than a portrait, this piece is a tribute to storytelling, taking chances, and the unexpected moments that can change the course of your life forever.

Biggie taught the world that stories matter. This painting reminds me that sometimes your own story is just getting started.

— SAVO

View Artwork