This is Biggie’s, and make no mistake: It is a story. “Intro”: Every great rapper fancies himself a superhero, and every superhero needs an origin story. Read on to get our track-by-track take on Notorious B.I.G.’s classic debut. The case remains unsolved, and conspiracy theories abound, but one thing is for sure: Biggie was one of the all-time greats. On March 9, 1997, just weeks before the release of his sophomore effort, Life After Death, Biggie was gunned down in Los Angeles. His paranoia, it turns out, was justified. Even when he’s celebrating, he’s looking over his shoulder. His songs mix fantasy and reality, and unlike so many of his peers, he rarely, if ever, glorifies the gangsta lifestyle. As a youngster, Wallace was a gifted student, and even though he went astray as a teenager - getting into the drug game and eventually serving nine months in a North Carolina prison - his rhyming and storytelling are testaments to his intelligence. plenty of room to throw his weight around, lyrically speaking. The bleak anti-pop moments serve the record well, giving B.I.G.

It’s the story of a young man succumbing to the pressures of his environment. It’s funky, and thanks to executive producer Sean “ Puff Daddy” Combs, there are plenty of pop hooks. Dre‘s The Chronic, a record Biggie admired enough to sample on track two, “Things Done Changed.” Relative to Dre’s West Coast game-changer, though, B.I.G.’s East Coast landmark is harder, darker and less song-oriented. 15 on the Billboard 200 - is similar to Dr. In that way, Ready to Die - which reached No. His bellowing voice suggests lungs filled with cigar smoke and a throat coated with Welch’s grape juice, his beverage of choice in the Top 10 single “Big Poppa.” Whether he’s spinning semi-autobiographical crime narratives or indulging in lover-man fantasies, he never lets the crippling stress wreck his flow. He’s a man of hardy appetites - for money, food, women, blunts, booze, and the thrill of the hustle - and he raps with the easy-does-it delivery of a guy who’s just polished off a steak dinner or finished a round of lovemaking. Notorious B.I.G.’s 15 Biggest Billboard Hitsĭeath wishes aside, the Biggie heard on Ready to Die is a guy bellying up to life’s buffet. Rap Snacks Introduces Icon Line Featuring Master P & The Notorious B.I.G Flavors.: Exclusive

Notorious big ready to die album art