Ready To Die

An album that suffers under it own sheer size. Much like Biggie probably did

I really wanted to give the GOAT a 5, but the skits on this album are out of control, in a bad way. This is definitely one where you put several tracks in a playlist and never touch the rest of it again. Best track: The What

Misogynist lyrics made this nauseating, despite any potentially good musical qualities.

We need to talk about Puffy. It’s universally acknowledged that this is one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time from possibly the greatest rapper to ever do it. Nobody comes close to Biggie for having it all - lyrical dexterity, whip smart word play, ingenuity and the flow - god that flow - play any beat, any style and he nails it every time, whether swapping verses with himself on Gimmee the Loot, messing with the beat on Unbelievable (‘The gat's by your liver, your upper lip quiver Get ready to die, tell God I said hi’) or that laid back slow flow on Big Poppa. Impeccable choice of producers and beats (The What, Juicy) make for a thrilling, enthralling, near perfect rap album. But we need to talk about Puffy. There’s no doubting his contribution to shaping and developing Biggie as an artist but, my god, let that be enough! We don’t need your lousy skits, hype man contributions and especially not not your wack ass acting on Suicidal Thoughts. Let the man rap! Back down and shut up! It’s Puffy and the skits that made me hesitate over five or four stars … but it’s a tribute to Big that even this cannot ultimately spoil this classic five star (five mics) album.

This three-star review hurts to give. Biggie's skills are literally the stuff of legend but, man ... the album just didn't age well. The lyrical content is a one-note gong that he just keeps banging over and over and over. The majority of the album can be summed up in the phrase "I'm gonna shoot you." There's very little that strays from that central theme. And that ... well, that gets old after a while, doesn't it? Even if the delivery is fantastic. And then there are the skits. Pure cheese. The skits alone dragged the score down a whole star. Overall, a disappointing re-listen from one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Absolute classic album. Do I wish there were fewer skits with him having sex? Of course. But the rhymes are enough to keep it a 5.

Juicy is everything that hip-hop is about perfectly encapsulated into one song. Big Poppa is the perfect player’s anthem with an even more perfect sample. The rest of the album is proof that Notorious BIG was the best rapper alive at the time. And the closing track is a haunting look at the dark side of fame in a troubled mind. A hip-hop masterpiece.

As someone that doesn't listen to much rap, I'm pretty choosy on this genre. Part of it is that I can't identify with a lot of the content, and some of it is distaste for some of the ways it perpetuates and glorifies violence and gangsta lifestyle. Biggie was an excellent rapper, the pure talent and flow are amazing, he can weave a story so well and you do get a sense of his upbringing and coming out of that life to stardom throughout this album. For me what drags it down is a lot of the content though, the violence and gunshots, the music video where he blows away a bunch of guys from a balcony and it pans down to dead bodies, the juvenile skits and sex noises. I'm not a square but I just don't enjoy this, though as a teen I would have thought it was edgy and hilarious. 3 Stars from me, the talent is there and there are some bright spots in the album where he really gets into some great poetry, but it drags on too long and I just don't enjoy some of the content regardless of the talent behind it.

Like the Goodfellas of rap albums

Sex noises! How rude.

Great timing as i just watched I Got a Story to Tell, the documentary about Biggie. What a dude. How could i not give this a 5?

Glad I listened. I can appreciate how influential it's all been. But nothing artistically useful to me.

Liked the beats and music, struggled to connect to the content.

Never really cared for Biggie, even back when I was teenager in the 90’s. I got about 7 songs through this record and put on De La Soul’s “Buhloone Mindstate”. Someone add that to the list.

Biggie sure does have good flow, and the beats are for the most part great. At first I felt like he surpassed the typical Rap culture tropes of just talking about themselves and their accomplishments. Because the album started as more of a nostalgic feel. But then it descended into the same old tropes and I quickly got bored of the lyrics. I stopped halfway into "**** Me" because I really don't want to hear people having sex. So I would say this album is garbage, not something you want to listen to as an album. Maybe individual songs are great. And musically some of the songs are 5/5. But thematically it is pretty much boring rap themes, with a little originality at the beginning of the album. Also I really disliked how it tried to be explicit in every way possible in a way that seemed on purpose just for explicitness.

A classic in so many ways. So many memorable lines and a great snapshot of who Biggie was, before all the posthumous releases started popping out.

It is difficult to listen to this album detached from the events of Biggie's career as a result of the feud between Bad Boy and Death Row, the East vs. the West. Biggie and his style of storytelling is definitely a cut above his contemporaries and even today against the current lineup of rap artists. The feud between East and West, whether manufactured or real, Biggie had a real story to tell. This album is dirty rap, with a very specific story that will resonate with specific audiences because of how personal this all comes across. Toxic masculinity as a result of the struggle for respect, the unbridled sexual conquest of generically available women, and the consequences of these actions are played out as ending in tragedy through violence. Where art imitated life, Biggie would be murdered a mere three years after this album was released. All in all, the album is sad and Biggie is telling a truth that happened to him as a young kid, in spite of academic success and great opportunity, that respect, money, maybe even love, could not be granted to anyone other than from the streets. This listener is not really looking for a story to be told in music, but Biggie explored and rather explicitly at times, a story about life that is contraindicative for people listening to music to feel nice or good. In a way, the authenticity of the struggle supersedes that of the rhythmic blues, where we are forced to perhaps understand something that for many people, is impossible.

Honestly, the skits are a bit over the top on here. They should have got ridden of a few. I don't care that P Diddy has confirmed that Biggie actually had Oral Sex at the end of Respect. Apart from that, this is an excellen album. One of the greatest.

No. 215/1001 Intro 2/5 Things Done Changed 3/5 Gimme The Loot 3/5 Machine Gun Funk 3/5 Warning 3/5 Ready To Die 3/5 One More Chance 4/5 Fuck Me 2/5 The What 3/5 Juicy 5/5 Everyday Struggle 4/5 Me And My Bitch 3/5 Big Poppa 4/5 Respect 3/5 Friend of Mine 3/5 Unbelieveable 3/5 Suicidal Thoughts 3/5 Average: 3,18 Some very good songs, some ok songs. Didn't like the interludes.

I was grossed out by the lyrics Music/vocals are interesting and sound like they must have been a huge influence

Started off solid but after an hour of the same 3 words got boring. Almost turned off at the sound of fellatio, not sure how that is music!

This is a difficult one to review. I liked the music and Biggie's vocals flow well. However, some of the lyrics are absolutely appalling. I'd feel embarrassed to listen to this album with other people around - and considering I'm happy to listen to Kunt and the Gang, that's not an easy thing to achieve. The glorification of violence, the casual homophobia and, in particular, the horrific levels of misogyny mean that I can only give this album 1 star, even though I thought the music was good. Some of the more delightful lyrics: From Me and My Bitch: "And I admit, when the time is right, the wine is right I treat you right, you talk slick, I beat you right" From Just Playing (Dreams). Where Biggie "Dreams of fucking an R&B bitch" "Make Raven Symone call date rape" Fuck off you creepy, vile weirdo.

I could do without the random women moaning in my ear during work hours, but the rapping was great.

Bed-Stuy's chef d'oeuvre! Ready to Die is a success story that is entertaining and poetic!

Wow. Knowing very little, in the grand scheme of things, about rap and hip-hop, I don’t think I could tell you what makes this a standout example of its genres. But do know art when I see it, know an artist when presented with one. The concept of this album (loose though it may be at times), is well considered. Starting with Biggie’s birth and childhood, and ending with his suicide, it explores all aspects of his life, past and present. He tackles his criminal past, love, sex, fame and wealth (which I was confused about since this is his debut album and he presumably hadn’t achieved widespread fame yet; think I’m missing something there), poverty, stress, and much more. It’s a mosaic of his life, and each track feels like it was intricately written and produced to tell a specific part of it. It’s quite engaging. His delivery feels buttery-smooth while still conveying the emotion of each track. He’s not rushing or trying to impress the listener with how fast he can rap. He wants to be heard and understood. Where some rap can turn an uninitiated listener off with its references to other parts of the culture, fast deliveries, or just otherwise unfamiliar musical concepts, this album and Biggie himself stay rooted firmly in the moment of each song. The samples are brilliantly used to the point where I couldn’t always tell what was and wasn’t a sample. I cannot say enough about this album. It’s long but never overstays its welcome. It’s funny, it’s serious, it’s entertaining, it’s tragic. Absolutely no doubt 5 stars. I need more. Standout tracks: Intro (reminded me of Dark Side of the Moon’s “Speak to Me”), Things Done Changed, Machine Gun Funk, Ready to Die, One More Chance, Juicy, Everyday Struggle, Unbelievable, Suicidal Thoughts

Classic album. One of the greatest hip hop albums ever. The storytelling, production, rapping are so point it's crazy. Biggie is one of the greatest rappers ever, flows are the best I have ever heard. 10/10

Re-listening for the generator. What a superb album, tons of fun (rimshot). When he's in the zone, no one does it like Biggie. From all-time opener Things Done Changed to endlessly quotable story of impending conflict Warning to the gloriously victorious Juicy, this work by the notorious one is simply awesome. 9/10 and a probable future 10

Gimme the loot is an absolute track. From the BERETTA puttin' all the holes in ya sweater

Always loved Biggie. It was a great trip down memory lane.

I know every lyric to this album for good reason.

This album bought Diddy a lot of lube unfortunately

Just about every song here is a certified classic. Incredible beats and quite possibly the best flow and voice of all time. Would be an easy 5/5 if not for the sex skits, which haven’t aged well, and Diddy not ever shutting up. Who Shot Ya? Is one of the best beats ever, but half of the song is his yapping. My favorite songs were Gimme The Loot, The What, Juicy, Big Poppa, Unbelievable, and Who Shot Ya?

I enjoyed the autobiographical nature of this album. And not enough can be said about Biggie's voice. That throaty baritone filled with moxie. Pride in one song, rage in the next. Songs about coming out of the life of a drug dealer into the life of a musician are a common theme. It's a shame that changing his focus still couldn't keep him safe from violence. The Biggie vibe is that of a monster rhyme delivered with timing absolutely locked in the pocket. Stick those lyrics on top of beats by Puff Daddy and that's a winner all day long and twice on Sundays. All of that being said however, I could never give an album this misogynistic a five.

Very influential and a classic album. His voice is super unique and recognizable. Kinda the king of sexual interludes - made this weird to listen to at home, but there's vulnerable parts as well that make it a really well-rounded album. A little long, but that's alright Saved: Gimme The Loot, Juicy

It's hard to explain how monumental biggie smalls was in his day. His flow was just so unique and his rhymes so creative if gruesome and profane. Unfortunately it doesn't hold up very well. This may be a more recent thing but hearing Puff Daddy whispering stuff in the background puts off a different vibe than it did in 1993, and frankly the stuff he's wrapping about is kind of boring and juvenile. The back in the day I used to be a buyer for a record store that prided itself on an excellent hip hop selection the kids would travel from all around for it. The first time I heard of Biggie was when some of the hardcore hip hop heads started asking about him. None of our distributors knew the name, but within a few weeks he started showing up on some of the underground dj mix tapes we carried. Improbably, about 12 years later I inadvertently found myself gentrifying the very hood Biggie rapped about, Clinton Hill. It might have been the same place, but in name only. Still, it felt good to occasionally walk by the building he grew up in and fantasize about the childhood that developed this unique style we barely got to know before he was murdered. RIP.

Mmm usual gangsta rap with usual tiresome tropes. Good delivery. Lots of annoying skits. Decent production.

If I’m going to listen to misogynistic rap from the 90s it’s going to be Big L. Ready to Die did not age well and in fact has exceeded ready to die status and is firmly Ready to be Forgotten. Gimme the Loot is still great.

Well then how violent. A 1-minute interlude of graphic sex audio lol, bit awkward at work.

The music is undeniable and the talent real. Everything sounds so easy, but the message of some of the music doesn't age very well. I guess that's the appeal for some of the genre.

Didn't finish it, heard enough

Voice, rhythm, and flow are good. Content not so much. Misogyny, porn, violence. Offensive.

This album lost me with the misogyny and the threat of violence against women in the very first track. I didn't need to listen to any more, I knew what was in store for me. No thanks.

Things done changed was pretty good! I did not enjoy the rest.

Obligatory five stars because of what this album is. One of the greatest rap albums of all time this arguably could be the best rap album of all time because of a lot of things. I didn’t realize how much foreshadowing there was in his death. Literally every song is about him about to be killed or getting some ass lol

Possibly my favorite rap album I’ve listened to during this project thus far. A perfect encapsulation of the struggle of gang life in that era set to a masterful flow and infectious beats. Definitely some work I’ll have to revisit. Notable Tracks: - Things Done Changed - Gimme the Loot - The Loot - Juicy - Big Poppa - Respect 9/10

Believe it or not, Len Houmous was the first person to be interviewed on that fateful day for Biggie. They’d had a heated argument that afternoon. We wanted to cover Me & My Bitch in honour of Lens first wife, Andrea. Len just can’t stand swearing. So we wanted to change it to Me & My Witch but Biggie wouldn’t have it. Fortunately the only thing Len hates more than swearing his his ex wife and firearms so they knew it wasn’t him. 4.7

Iconic and totally changed the game. One of the best rap albums of all time.

Such a classic

"Gimme Da Loot" Plus "Who Shot Ya" on the remaster version...those are my faves.

would love to listen to a version of this that edits Diddy and the two atrocious sex skits out. what was the obsession with taking 2-3 minutes out of an otherwise fantastic album for the least funny audio skits you've ever heard? those blemishes aside, wow. this is one of hip hop's first timeless albums; Biggie Smalls' flows are immaculately constructed, and listening to him light these beats up is a pure delight. there's tons of different approaches to the art of storytelling across these tracks! my favorite is when he plays multiple characters in the same song, like on "Gimme the Loot" or "Warning"; it feels like he was planting a seed for Kendrick Lamar to harvest a couple decades later. "Things Done Changed", "Everyday Struggle", "Suicidal Thoughts" and many other songs here portray Biggie's criminal lifestyle and condition in society with vividly macabre detail, matched with ornate, jazz-tinged production and piledriving drum grooves. it's undeniably New York, but the influence of West Coast G-Funk is also undeniable. there's also a few glitzier cuts dedicated to his material possessions and the women he's bedding (and threatening to beat if they act out of line), as any mainstream rap classic worth its salt tends to have. the production value and rhyming quality hardly ever dips, but the subject matter is often pretty repetitive. there's definitely no shortage of material here, with 15 proper songs clocking in at over an hour. this was the early days of the CD age, where everyone was trying to fill up as much of that disc as they possibly could. I think you could maybe trim this down by 5-10 minutes and it would be a much tighter experience. but, when so many of these songs are so legendarily good, I can hardly complain! light 9/10.

Absolute gold.

delightful. smooth and way ahead of its time. could have done without the sex noises though

A bonafide classic that is loaded with massive hits and some of the best hip hop deep cuts ever. Puffy’s production impresses throughout this record. Considering Diddy’s crimes, and some of the outdated lyricism from BIG, I was expecting to not like this as much as I used to. The sexual interludes and “sucking on your daddy’s dick” level of nastiness included in the lyrics is uncomfortable to say the least. That being said, BIG’s lyrics and flow are influential and timeless. The personal lyrics about thoughts of suicide are some of the first deeply personal lyrics included in hip hop. It’s hard to give this much lower of a score, because it shaped my interests at a young age honestly. And although, it has aged poorer than others, it is loaded with classics. Everyday Struggle isn’t a song that gets mentioned often, but I like it more than other rappers’ whole discography. Juicy is one of the best songs of all time regardless of genre. There are so many other tracks I could mention, because it is that loaded.

This hit so hard, his lyrics are sometimes graphic and a bit intense, but the ending song is one of the greatest ways to end an album

Best beats. A little uncomfortable.

Definitely a skit or two that I never need to hear again.

This album fucks so hard. Outstanding production, strong pop sensibilities, great voice and delivery from Biggie, it's got it all. The lyrics are kinda juvenile in a lot of places but I get it, they were basically kids. I wrote terrible lyrics/poetry at that age too. Anyways, now that I'm not a shitty teenaged metal snob, I can totally understand how this became huge and how (along with the Death Row stuff) rap/hip hop broadly became such a sensation around this time. I mean, not that it wasn't already popular but rap was basically the default soundtrack to the 90s. My only beef with this album is Big Poppa copping the West Coast style G-Funk sound. It's out of place. I mean, it sounds good, but it sounds like they were trying to dip their toes into waters that Dre basically owned. Other than that, this is basically flawless.

päheetä sakkia nää tummat... valmiina koulemaan!!!!! elämä on rankkaa mut mun sielu on vankkaa.. virta on sulava mutta syön vittu pullavan... siks oon läski vitun läski joten laita pääskii... pikku riimiä teillekin, ehk extra settiä albumille emt... yyyhyyy rivouksia... yhyhyhyyyyy seksisti paskapää!!! on osa kulttuuria heh... opi tavoille... respect the culture..... mene kiina syö koira... osa kulttuuria, ongelma? ei kannata olla homo. saudi arabiassa... jos ei kulttuuri kelpaa niin ei tarvi vittuilla...... albumi vähän pitkästyttää loppua kohden mutta on ainakin semmoisen tunnin verran eliittiä settiä. i dont give a hell!!!!!! on nää päheetä sakkia nää tummat... respect

Haven't listened through the album before, was good

Awesome

What flow. What a debut. Too much Puffy. One of the best to ever rap

RIP Biggie. One of the OGs. Phenomenal album and such a classic.

Essential 90s east coast rap. It tells a story that never gets old

THIS IS NOT MUSIC! this is foul-mouthed pretentious self-indulgence with no musical content, innovation or inspiration..

A classic of its time i guess

Inarguably one of the best debut albums of all time.

Classic. The lyricism is incredible, the flow is impeccable, the beats are fantastic.

Would be hard to say this is not one of the best hip hop records ever.

This album just missed the day my twins were born which would have been amazing considering the album art and the song "Big Poppa." I love Biggie's cadence and rhyme. There is a smooth and crunchy sound to his voice that makes it so good. Some of the lyrics are your stereotypical rap theme (women, money, drugs, murder, cars) but when Biggie raps about these things it feels real. Biggie sounds like a motherfucker you don't wanna mess with. Probably what got him killed unfortunately.

5-

Every song is a banger

This rules. A classic for a reason.

Pretty good, I liked Juicey, me and my bitch and big poppa

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I like Hip Hop as for me it has a massive cross over with metal and puck music and many fans have that common bond. This album when I heard it back in the day just blew my mind the heaviness musically and lyrically is just incendiary. I do wonder what he would have gone on to do if not killed at such a young age. Stand out tracks: - Gimmie the loot - one of my favourite tracks of all time The whole thing!!

Already rated this one as the 2nd album in the list, still a 5

Good comedy album

A CLASSIC comming from a non hip hop guy!

what a journey. Among the greatest hip-hop albums I've listened to. 5 stars.

This is weird because it's serious. If you put out a song like "One More Chance" in 2024 it would be assumed it was satirical. Is it weird that the main thing I notice is parallels with Hamilton? Obsession with death. It's not my thing (a lot of the like, beats are kind of samey) but content wise I think it is a very good album.

I am the whitest man I know and this album makes me feel like a straight up G, like don't fuck wit' me 'less you want tha heater. Feel me? just kidding but this is what rap is supposed to sound like to me, but I am also old. The beats and samples are so distinct to this era of East Coast rap that you know it immediately, then BIG's raps are so clear and clever you can't help but move your body and feel like a G.

classic hip hop album. One of my favorites from when I was younger. Still holds up after all these years.

Too good. 6/5

A killer debut with great lines and wonderful production and sonics.

I absolutely loved the Intro, it actually told us a story unlike what the recent music I have been listening

Epic

What an album

Absolute all time banger. Instant classic. It starts out slow, but then the pacing of the album is really great and it stays entertaining all the way through which can be a complaint of mine for other hip hop albums from this era. Some are too long and drag on and can become monotonous.

10/10 quiero que Biggie me enseñe a rimar así de hpta que buenas lyrics, el flow increible y el productor tiene cara de que hace fiestas divertidas!! Me pregunto que pasará en esas fiestas... 10/10. One of the best AOAT.

Se llama a sí mismo "pussy crusher" 10/10

Scarily, almost inevitably prophetic. What comes across here is his colossal talent married with boyish vulnerability and self-deprecating humour. And sloppy sex noises. Was not expecting those.

Flowy, funny, bit outrageous and a cinematic feel to it. Just one of those albums that is top tier, every working on it completely at their creative peaks. Love the skits, not sure why they get so much hate!

It's an excellent album. Could do with less wet-sex noises being pumped directly into my ears, but everything else is great. Obviously it's violent and misogynistic, but that's a window into the scene at the time. You can't judge everything with a modern lens, basically. Musically, it's fire.

While not as good as Nas' Illmatic, still an excellent album. Favs include the narrative "The Warning," "Juicy," "Big Poppa," and the titular track. He helped reclaim hip hop as a New York/east-coast form when the tides shifted to California in the early nineties.

The greatest to ever do it

Very nice

Still a good one.

Performance: 5 Writing: 5 Production: 5 Fav tracks: The What, Respect, Suicidal Thoughts

Ready To Buy what he’s selling (this album).

His dick sound amazing