Notorious B.I.G. secret shout-out revealed at 'A Hip-Hop Life' Grammy exhibit in Newark

Now it can be revealed.

When Notorious B.I.G. name-checked Word Up! magazine on his 1994 classic “Juicy,” it was actually a shout-out to Word Up! principal photographer Ernie Paniccioli.

“For the record, he did that as a tribute to me. He told me he dedicated that to me,” Paniccioli said. “I said, 'Why didn't you use my name? He said ... 'Nobody can rhyme your name — your first name or your last name.' He said I dedicated that to you.”

The line, “It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine,” is one of the most iconic in hip-hop. Paniccioli's photos are featured in the “A Hip-Hop Life: Five Decades of Hip-Hop Music, Art and Culture,” on display through Oct. 30 at the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center.

Biggie, Tupac Shakur, Naughty By Nature, Lauryn Hill, Fugees, Ice T, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa and more are shown through Paniccioli's lens at the exihibit.

“He wasn't like somebody who worked for the press. He was truly part of the culture,” said Treach from Naughty by Nature of Paniccioli's work.

A Brooklyn native, Paniccioli first photographed city graffiti artists. That led him to hip-hop, and he was soon in the middle of the music's universe. He's been living in Jersey City since 1971; Word Up! and Rap Masters magazines were based in Paramus.

Many of the images were shot in Jersey City, he said.

“To me, an artist, a musician, a painter, a dancer, a singer, a deejay are human beings," he said. "They have a complex story, and if they're looking away and the story is in their eyes, you missed the story. To me, the essence of a person is in their eyes.”

Paniccioli attended an exhibit opening soiree on Thursday, June 2, at the Grammy Museum Experience that celebrated Black Music Month — and also marked new additions to the New Jersey Legends wing of the museum. The Rascals, Joey Dee and the Starliters, Leon Huff, Linda Jones, Melba Moore, Naughty By Nature, Sylvia Robinson, The Sugar Hill Gang, and Tye Tribett are now enshrined.

Also: Treach from Naughty by Nature plays Orange Loop Rock Fest in Atlantic City this weekend

And: Has New Jersey finally learned to treat its musical heroes with respect?

In addition to Treach, attendees included David Brigati of Joey Dee and the Starliters, and his brother Eddie Brigati of the Rascals, Melba Moore, Dyana Williams, aka the Godmother of Black Music Month, Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken of the Smithereens, Richard Barone of the Bongos and more.

“I'm surprised and honored,” said David Brigati, a native of Garfield, of his inclusion. “We had many, many hits — on and on and on.”

The band's hits included “Peppermint Twist,” “Hey, Let's Twist,” “Shout” and “What Kind of Love Is This.” Band guitarists included Joe Pesci, who would later become famous as actor, and Jimi Hendrix.

“He was great then he went the other way and he died early,” said David Brigati of Hendrix, who passed away at the age of 27 in 1970.

Tickets to visit the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center range from $7 to $10 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. The Experience is open Thursdays through Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on non-event days, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on event days.

Visit www.grammymuseumexp.org for more information.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA TODAY NETWORK  New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: A Hip-Hop Life photo exhibit on display at Grammy Museum Newark NJ