Ready To Die

(4/5) Yeah, Puffy was part of this.. so... It's 2026 and it's now clear that dude was the worst kind of monster. He's not ALL of the album -- it's still Biggy's album, technically -- but his nasty hands were in it.. deep. So in keeping with my (arbitrary) standards this otherwise classic hip hop album gets a star deduction for that fucker's involvement. Plus, the skits haven't aged well. I found that out when we had "Doggystyle" a few months back, but the music on that saves the day. The principle holds here too. In spite of the cringey skits and deeply troubling lyrics the music saves the day. It's just that Puffy was involved which... Eewww... Biggy was a metaphoric (and I suppose literal) giant in his brief moment in the spotlight and the production and music was top tier here. I just have a really difficult time reconciling that monster's involvement.

Classic but poison to society

222. Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G. (1994) 10.1.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 2.4 rounded down to a 2 "I got techniques drippin' out my butt cheeks/ Sleep on my stomach so I don't fuck up my sheets, huh" 90s hip hop, especially after the very early 90s was something I was aware of because it was exploding and was everywhere. The hits of anything in regular rotation on MTV I was quite aware of. I knew who Biggie was, and would regularly hear "Big Poppa" and to a lesser extent "Juicy" as I think those were the big singles with most play on MTV. But, gangsta rap was never my bag, and I mostly ignored it during its heyday unless it was unavoidable. This remains, along with a slew of classics of the genre, an album I have never heard teh entirety of. I'm guessing there are probably a couple of other tracks I might have heard in the ensuing decades since or that I might recognize form a tv show or movie though, so we'll see. I much prefer stuff like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, or later on stuff like Missy Elliott 9 a couple on the list thank goodness), Run the Jewels ( not on the list), Company Flow ( not on the list), or Del the FUnky Homosapien. The seriousness and questionable takes on a lot of gangsta and some hardcore stuff has to be lifted up by some top notch sampling, arrangements, and interesting production for me to be able to overcome the bad taste a lot of ot leaves. I'm certainly not opposed to harrowing stories of racism, crime, poverty, and overcoming circumstances, so long as they come from what feels like a genuine place, or are autobiographical in nature. It's the celebration of the gangster lift style that gets me, and has always made me look at the genre with squinted eyes. But I don't really know enough about Mr. Smalls to be the judge of what's legit or not, and he definitely ended up paying the price for whatever beefs he built up in his career, even if he may not have been quite the badass he presented himself as. So I guess I'll try and judge it as purely on the presentation as I can, ill-quipped as I am. THE TRACKS "Intro" - As hard as this was to get through, I can't discount it as a separate inessential skit ( which I tend to skip) as it seems like a pretty important mission statement. Biggie is laying down his life story here, all the way up to the recording of this very album it seems. The story is one of hardship and I could see how it might be emotionally affecting if it didn't seem so awkward and on the nose. I won't count this as a song, but it's worth listening to if you are going to listen. "Things Done Changed" - Ok, so I guess I have heard more than I thought form this album. A very groovy beat, with some tight as well samples and we get a story about nostalgia and maybe how it's a bit of a fool's game to dwell on it, when the reality of now is so dire. Biggie has a very confident and steady flow, and he doesn't go in for too many gymnastic, but this was pretty well done stuff. The harp sample absolutely makes this track though. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Things-Done-Changed/ "Gimme the Loot" - This is exactly the kind of stuff that leaves me cold. Biggie bragging about his days as a stick up man, with very little remorse or self reflection going on here. I've seen others do this sort of thing with a lot more ambiguity about how it feels to be stuck in a life of crime. If we're taking the man at his word, it doesn't paint a great picture, and if it's indeed all bluster, then maybe it's even worse? And despite the long list of great artists sampled here, I found it to be pretty boring musically. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Gimme-the-Loot/samples/ "Machine Gun Funk" - This was much more successful at the sample game, and we get a nice chill groove for Biggie to do his thing over, and the result is jazzier and the self-inflation is a bit more general in nature, so it doesn't land as flatly. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Machine-Gun-Funk/ "Warning" - Another one I've heard. More self-mythologizing going on here, but this time from the point of view of the paranoia and jealously that comes with success. Probably at least a much more easily verifiable bit of biography given how things turned out though. Musically this was just ok. Still would have expected more from a song that samples both Parliament and Isaac Hayes. Could have done without the melodramatic skit elements at the end. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Warning/ "Ready to Die"- This was much more musically in my wheelhouse, with a better use of the samples. Biggie throws in some humor in what is ostensibly a super dark song, and you might think maybe this would be the track where he shows some vulnerability, or deals with the depression that comes from the life he's been living, but instead this feel much more like just another brag. He's at the point now where he's accomplished it all. It's not that he's craving death, it's more ... what else is left when you're at the top? I might be misreading this though. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Ready-to-Die/samples/ "One More Chance" - Not exactly a slow jam, but this is definitely the sexy times track. The first one anyway. The background singers add a lot to the vibe, and Biggie seems more relaxed and maybe even charming here. I think I might prefer lothario Biggie to hardass Biggie when it comes to his delivery, but overall this one didn't do much for me. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./One-More-Chance/ "The What" - Method Man guests on this track and brings the IQ up considerably, and adds some much needed variety. I like Biggie just fine on the mic, but all of his deficiencies are amplified in comparison. That said - there aren't that many, and the general flow and the beat elevate this one up and provide something distinct. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./The-What/ "Juicy" - The other big hit that I was already familiar with, and even recall the music video, with the old school hip hop history woven into Biggie's own journey to the top. This one is much more focused on the good life that came after the life of crime, and is much easier to digest for that reason alone. I'll leave my comments focused on this one aspect of his involvement, but Puff Daddy's constant "uh huh, yeah"s were pretty damn distracting though, and felt entirely unnecessary. Not enough to ruin the vibe though. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Juicy/ "Everyday Struggle" - All of the emotional depth we missed out on with "ready to Die" can be found here. A much more believable and raw take on the effects of all the violence he's been talking about hits hard here, and Biggie finally seems like a real person here. A whole album of this sort of slice of life self examination would have been great, and could see it affecting me much more. I think there might be at least a couple more of these on here though, if the song titles are any indication. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Everyday-Struggle/ "Me & My Bitch" - Not exactly another sexytimes track, it's definitely, uh... romantically coded. At least for a gangsta rap song where women are most commonly portrayed as so much arm candy. Biggie seems dedicated at least? I also could not stand all the chatter over this. Please, keep the skits to their own tracks so I can skip them. Thank you. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Me-%26-My-Bitch/ "Big Poppa" - For me this was THE big track off the album, and the only one aside from "Hypnotize" that exists in any of my current playlists. Biggie's star power is pretty undeniable here, and if "Juicy" was his breakout track, this one fully cemented him. I still hear this pop up on the radio and there's a reason. One of the best, and classiest sounding tracks of a rapper flexing on everyone else, and this is due in no small part to the stellar sample work here. If anything, I'll always owe this song to introducing me to "Between the Sheets " by the Isley Brothers. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Big-Poppa/ "Respect" - More autobiography here, and this rime with a beat that gives it all a cool forward momentum, and feels like Biggie is hurtling towards something. Great background vocals help this vibe even more, and there's even a touch of that personal, vulnerable stuff that worked so well on "Everyday Struggle". The ending kind of cancels out any of the goodwill though, and is one of the more juvenile moments on the whole album thus far. But hey, there are three more tracks to go, so... Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Respect/ "Friend of Mine" - Oof... the chatter at the beginning of this was very off-putting. Musically this was very chaotic and teh samples did not hit for me. This was almost a rare skip for me, but I powered through. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Friend-of-Mine/ "Unbelievable" - This track just felt like a lot of wheelspinning, and waiting for the runtime to play out. It was an interesting swing in that it had more of an old school feel to it, but otherwise not very noteworthy. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Unbelievable/ "Suicidal Thoughts" - We have here what should have been the emotional core of the album, and what I think was maybe meant to be, but the opening skit and the chatter throughout ruins the effect though, and ultimately it feels like too little, too late given the rest of the album, and except for the somber tone I think could be written off as lip service to anyone who might have wanted more of this. I think this is the more famous one when the subject of Biggie's self reflection comes up, but it does not touch "Everyday Struggle" in that respect. Sampled: https://www.whosampled.com/The-Notorious-B.I.G./Suicidal-Thoughts/ HIGHLIGHTS - "Things Done Changed" - "Machine Gun Funk" - "Ready to Die" - "The What" - "Juicy" - "Everyday Struggle" - "Big Poppa" MIDLIGHTS - "Warning" - "One More Chance" - "Unbelievable" - "Suicidal Thoughts" LOWLIGHTS - "Gimme the Loot" - "Me & My Bitch" - "Respect" - "Friend of Mine" FINAL THOUGHTS Overall, I'm left with a self portrait of a man who has pretty shamelessly and proudly proclaimed his greatness, which seems pretty par for the course as far as gangsta rap goes. There were touches though, where the real man poked his head through and felt more relatable. It's unfortunate that these all seemed piled onto the last part of the album and weren't spread out a bit more. As good as the samples and arrangements were, it was much more of a depressing and low-key slog than I expected. Even Snoop Dogg, who's album was a lot more fun, and had better samples besides, and NWA whose album felt much more real and politically relevant, I didn't give a more than a solid 3 to. I think content-wise there's just not much I find great about the genre in general, so there's a pretty low ceiling for the bulk of it. And by comparison, I enjoyed both of those more than this. For "Big Poppa" alone this album deserves to be on the list. And while I can certainly see why it was so influential, and it's considered a classic, it's just not my bag. The low ceiling remains unbroken ( by a decent measure here). I prefer my hip hop to have a lot more meat to it than is on display here, which seems even more like empty bravado than it did back when it came out. Possible turn-Offs might include: - misogynistic lyrics - all the standard gangsta rap stereotypes on display - a lack of much anything that's technically impressive - mostly shallow content with only small hints of any real emotional content You Might enjoy this if you: - like well produced hip hop of the era - would like to beef up your playlist by investigating the source of the samples - dig solid, capable, if not flashy rapping PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Big Poppa" will stay on the list FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Paid in Full by Eric B. & Rakim - Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One - Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A. - Long Live the Kane by Big Daddy Kane - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy Contemporaries: - Illmatic by Nas - The Diary by Scarface - Me Against the World by 2Pac - Regulate... G Funk Era by Warren g - Tical by Method Man Descendants: - Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z - Capital Punishment by Big Pun - Hard Core by Lil' Kim - Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent

“It was all a dream.” I was one of those impressionable teenagers of the 90s that fell into the gangsta rap of the time. Now my preference ended up being for the West Coast flavor (Dre, Snoop, Warren G, and Tupac). It wasn’t required to choose sides, I mean no one cared what a goofy Midwest rural white teen preferred, but we all did in high school. But then again, Wu-Tang was from NYC and nobody was as cool as Wu-Tang. I guess they got an exception. Also Mobb Deep was tight, I liked listening to them. Oh can’t forget how much DMX I listened to. And Jay-Z man. Can't skip Jay. ... It was all pointless. All of the picking sides. 30 years on I can see that. And in reality I was listening to all of them. One can enjoy all of the good hip-hop artists the 90s gave us and leave it at that. Biggie was one of the best. His flows seemed effortless and rich. His imagery was top notch and in doing so he hit some moments of timelessness. Rap/Hip-Hop has always existed in this sorta what I call professional wrestling space, where the real and the performance are blurred by necessity. The audience wants to believe in the authenticity in the music even when the story might be a fabrication. Artists are constantly in promo mode, leading with maximum bravado and promising retribution to enemies. The beefs are feuds. The labels the territories and factions. And just like pro wrestling, for some its all a work, and some its all a shoot. I don’t know if Biggie would’ve been a work or authentic. The ending was tragic all the same. This album will forever be a pillar of hardcore hip-hop. Some of it will be forever timeless for us that we’re listening to it when it dropped. Time, has also, soured me on the Bad Boy of it all. There is too much Puff Daddy on this album and we know his presence is just going to increase going forward. Despite, that Biggie still manages to make one hell of an album. Often cited as the best hardcore rap album of all-time, it just doesn’t reach that height for me. 4/5.

Was this album necessary?? I was disgusted by the lyrics and songs. Listening to this whole album all the way through actually made me dislike the couple songs I heard growing up.

Best tracks on the album is the unreleased stuff.

One of the best post 90's classic era rappers ever alongside TuPac. Shame they both met fatal ends.

I've always been kind of a rap heretic in that I am not a huge Biggie fan. Dead Wrong and Notorious Thugs are the only songs of his I listen to regularly and neither are on this album. That being said, this was way better than I remembered; the production is quite good and his flow is so freaking smooth.

Better than I expected. Not something I would usually listen to, however his debut has some surprisingly good tracks especially Respect, Juicy

As a total sucker for storytelling in music, this album had me captivated nearly all the way through. It does arguably get a bit repetitive towards the end, but there’s a magnetism to his flow that makes it impossible to put down.

A solid and still very listenable Rap album

Very good and important album in rap history but my god it is way too long.

Ei ollut mun makuun. Liian aggressiivista lyriikkaa ja n-sanaa. Puheosuudet oli kummallisia, vaikka kertoi ja tuki tarinaa. Rytmeistä tykkäsin.

This and Illmatic are the two main reasons why, for me at least, East Coast hip hop outshines the West Coast contemporaries. Biggie had immense talent on the microphone, with an atmosphere that's unrivaled. His lyrics are urban poetry, with rhymes intertwining to create a picturesque scenery, especially on the songs that detail the intercity struggle. Even if I never did like him, P did a good job on the production end. Even though there are a few questionable choices, most notably the interludes, which didn't age well, and the Diddy features, which feel like him strong-arming and forcing himself onto it (something not unknown to him), the production is on par with the lyrical and MC qualities this album is an abundance of.

one of the most one sided beef in music history

<1

He wasn't kidding...He REALLY liked when people called him Big Papa....

Almost a three because those skits did nothing for me, but the flow is undeniable, One More Chance is still one of the funniest songs

Good ass slurps

Absolutely insane. Just stone cold. Builds such a world with this album I was not expecting to enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did. I didn't get it before but I do now.

the top Hip Hop rap album from NY imho

i liked it quite a bit. i like his flow. at the end though it was feeling a bit bloated. a bit large. a bit B.I.G. sure didn't need that interlude.

Not my thing but I enjoyed bits of it.

Admittedly, this runs on for too long, but the sheer amount of fantastic tracks more than makes up for the weaker ones. 'Things Done Changed', 'Gimme The Loot', 'Ready To Die', 'Juicy', 'Big Poppa' and 'Suicidal Thoughts' were the highlights for me, and I think that having that many tracks, which are all phenomenal, on one album, is a feat of its own. There's the infamous 'Fuck Me' skit / interlude, but I definitely think that there's worse skits from other artists, and it's just a bit weird, not actually terrible. The production on this is brilliant, it'd be hard to pick standout examples, but there wasn't a single song where I though - "I wish this had better production!". Hip-Hop can be very hit-and-miss, but it's safe to say that this is definitely a great album, with a variety of hits, and a multitude of great tracks!

Not my thing!

I was going to give it a 3, but i changed My mind at last second, or at one of the last songs of the album. The structure is kinda repetitive in various cases, and i found just some songs enjoyable, while the rest was the wet dream of Ronald Reagen, a black man gloryfing the traffic of drugs, theft and murder, fame, money and sex. It's at the last second where You realize why the intro showed a kid in a broken environment, a cruel biggie smalls who gets a more tired flow when the album passes, and the reason why the album was called "Ready to die". In the song "Suicidal thoughts", we see how biggie always felt a piece of shit and a disgrace for his own mother, and decides to end his life with a bullet to his head while being in a call with Puff. That explains the character of a man who searched a surface level of happiness, with the expectations of the black man who lived in the streets and trying to make it out the hood and live the thug dream, but at the end of the day, You are still dead inside. He pointed first that he was Ready to die in the streets to make it out the dirty life of the hood and turn into a player, but maybe the death that the album explains is not about the process, is about the insatisfaction and the sad reality of the result, because when You make it, You are not a different person, You are still You. And maybe biggie came out the womb dead inside for the struggles and turned completely dead when shot himself. Or maybe it's just me. The last two songs werent about the story really.

Favorite Track: Juicy

still a great album. if "hypnotize" were on this, it'd probably be perfect

Nice flow, but the lyrics stood out not in a good way.

Lyrics offensive - don’t see any value to this. I try to be open, but I’m almost embarrassed to say I listened to this garbage.

Thank god Biggie was on the horizon — it was so reassuring to see this on the lineup for our 100th album after a run of disappointing albums. Incredible rap album by one of the best. Only reason it isn’t a 5 is that I wanted more variety, and this felt very much the same at times. Regardless, Big Poppa is an all-time rap song, and I was surprised how well Suicide Thoughts was done. The skits won’t be for everyone, but it made this album feel more like a day in the life of Biggie, which was a fascinating choice. No surprise that I enjoyed this, and could be a 5 upon relisten (and a better mood).

The music was technically proficient, but the skits were incredibly obnoxious.

A disgusting and vile street thug who escaped the life to become a Hip-Hop artist to glorify the life of a disgusting and vile street thug. A great album if glorified violence, and sexual depravity are your things, espoused upon with an endless stream of profanity and more asterisk words per song than any normal person hears in a lifetime. Just say no to hypocrisy.

I usually don't listen to music for the lyrics, which are just a plus for me. So, even though I agree that the content is gross, violent, and misogynistic, I also really enjoy the laid-back vibe and production of the music.

- Nice flow, but I have no interest in listening to some man throwing aggressive, misogynistic lyrics at me. I got this album on a Monday and stopped the project for a few days until I was able to force myself to finish listening to it all the way through. - I really like the beats and groove, and there are enjoyable sounds everywhere. I just wish the lyrics didn't make me embarrassed that someone might overhear me listening to this. - This album felt like it went on forever and I hope to never hear it again.

Fav song was Respect, also liked Just Playing (Dreams)

Delivery is alright but not a fan of some of the lyrics

22 years old. Cinematic production, skits are a bit much. One of the first albums I ever owned.

Obviously Biggies storytelling is unmatched, but this album was painful listening at times. There are some great moments on this album, but the bad outweighs the good unfortunately. The absolute misogyny is crazy on this, some of the lines are genuinely vile.

One of my favourite hip hop albums. Awesome voice and flow, some genius moments and a sackful of varied high quality rap tracks.

This is #day787 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to some excellent East Coast hip-hop/gangsta rap from Notorious, whose full record I'm listening to for the first time. This project does make you fill the gaps. What is there to add? Golden age of hip-hop at its most golden. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day788.

Classic Biggie, he’s never been my personal favorite but this is a lot of fun to listen to

Not for me.

Biggie is clearly a skilled rapper. Strictly musically speaking, this album is quite good. Creative rhymes and smooth flow. I personally find the themes of sex, drugs & violence in the lyrics to be tiresome though. Particularly the violence is unpleasant, but it seems like that was his world because he died in a drive-by shooting. There are other themes in the mix that have a bit more depth to them, but overall it's pretty crass. I could definitely do without the skits too, not least because they make the album feel long. Without the skits, this may have been a 4 star album for me... I guess we'll never know. Knowing that this came out when Biggie was only 22, the album subject matter does make sense. It would have been interesting to see where his career would've taken him if he were alive now.

Such an awesome album. Biggie has such a smooth flow

I gotta stand by my rule that no album that drops slurs, racism, homophobia or anything like that gets a 5. Unfortunately this one does.. Although Biggies flow is undeniably legendary, so smooth, might be one of my favorite rappers based on how he links his words, clever rhymes and the way he annunciates certain syllables to rhyme in unconventional ways. The backing tracks are jazzy, funky, and smooth. The background vocalists are always on point, and the backup rappers drop some cool cadence bombs here and there to back biggie up. Its dope. Some of the scenes I could go without... I don't know if that fucking skit is real or not, but it sure as hell sounds real, otherwise they are doing oscar nomination acting performances in the sound booth. (looking into it, it sounds like its a well performed skit!) Either way, bleh, don't want to listen to that. One of the better skits is at the start and end of Warning. The phone call and audio effects used to make it seem like we are hearing Biggies barber through the phone. Then the skit of the 2 dudes trying to break into Biggies place and getting sniped. Favorite line on the album has got to bed " BAHM BAHM HAVE A NICE DREAM" This has so many classics, and I would give it a 5 if it weren't for the unnecessary skits, or offensive lyrics at times. 8.5/10 (Jessie gives it a 8.5)

really good all the way through.

Musically, I don't know if I would say this is bad, per se, but not something I would listen to again. It's also too long. And though I am not usually one to police speech, especially in art, the lyrical subject matter is hard to ignore and/or dismiss.

Even as a somewhat sheltered kid, I was aware of the Notorious B.I.G. and his untimely death. The knowledge of what would happen later gives a prophetic quality to this album. I've also long heard how influential he was as a hip-hop artist, and having listened to this album I completely understand why. The quality of these songs is pretty incredible, from the rapping to the samples. The songs are almost relaxed, which creates an interesting contrast with the descriptions of violence and crime. Admittedly, the violent and sexual fantasies do hold this album back for me on a few tracks, as well as the skits. I can't say that this is my favorite, or even an album that I would listen to often, but I am glad that I have listened at last and I 100% think this album deserves a place on the list. Favorite track: I'm going to say "Juicy"

Hes better than Tupac

Gangster rap didn't age well. Biggie had incredible talent, but I just cannot stomach the misogyny.

I'm really picky about my "gangster rap," as it isn't generally a genre that I'm drawn to, and this album has always fallen outside of that preference. It's fine, and there are some decent samples here and there, but in general I'm not a fan of Biggie's cotton mouthed musings and larger than life persona, and I was a P-Diddy hater from way before his villainous Diddler turn. I'll take it over 50 Cent, but it still rounds out at a 3/5 that I'd never put on of my own accord.

Fire album - was cool to listen to it start to finish as the narrative in the album was sick

Esse gangsta rap dos anos 90 não faz meu estilo mesmo. Reconheço alguma qualidade e relevância, mas não rola. As letras são sobre, ou mulheres ou matar alguem, as vezes as duas coisas. Some isso a participação do P. Diddy.

If this is actually your fav album ever soi tu la jamais écouter au complet pour vrais ou t’est waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to freaky

This is just a perfect record

good

One of the best from one of the best. We used to make things in this country.

In high school a good friend asked me to help him make a parody track of Big Poppa for a mutual friend, putting his name in the chorus. Listening to this album brought back some great memories, along with the track Juicy. Based on those two songs, I was prepared to love this album. But geez... despite the well-produced music, the horrendously misogynistic lyrics and ridiculously explicit sexual content made it so I really could not enjoy this. I mean kudos to Biggie for his sexual exploits, but I really don't want to hear about it... or have those mental images even remotely in my head.

This is a record that is a true pillar of hip-hop and stands tall as one of the strongest releases in the genre’s history. The concept, the beats, and the masterful rapping are all top notch. What sets this one apart, however, is the storytelling and lyricism, combatting so many of the stereotypes those who dismiss this legendary era of music point to. There is an incredible thoughtfulness and nuance, along with subversions of prevalent themes at the time, from this wordsmith who we tragically didn’t get to hear more from. This project offers great track after track with powerful themes and suffers from one questionable moment, which still serves an understandable thematic purpose, that isn’t enough to take away from all the rest, for me. He certainly left his mark anyways. 1 re-listen Favorite Tracks: Big Poppa, Juicy, Everyday Struggle, Suicidal Thoughts, Title Track, Gimme the Loot, Things Done Changed

I'm familiar with some of this (the great tracks Big Poppa and Juicy). I presume this is the definitive B.I.G. album. A lot of this is great, some of it is a bit extreme.

I've learned a lot about hip-hop through this - some of the background, what I like, what I don't. This I very much do not like.

Great 90s Hip Hop album from Biggie. I new the hits, but it was my first time listening to a full album and I enjoyed it!

Ugh, this one was hard. The hits (Juicy, Big Poppa) are great. Everything else though... Things I liked: the concept of the album (from when he was born until the day he died), Biggie's flow, the track/samples Things I didn't like: all the sex skits, Diddy (yuck), a lot of the lyrics were gross.

Great album, absolutely love it

Um absoluto clássico, não tem nem oque falar. RAP na sua mais pura forma.

intro was very dramatic things done changed is smooooth gimme the loot hits very hard. i've historically not been into 90s hip hop but i think i haven't given it enough of a chance because after PE, I'm really enjoying this album and hope it keeps me on this theme? Man it's crazy that Diddy got Biggie killed Don't love the misogyny, it's just such a bummer because the flow is smooth some of the words are just ugly. "warning" is a great story song he's just so fucking good, man. not a revelation but goddamn. Diddy is the worst part of this album. shut up! he's right about nobody crying at his funeral. "Really, though, I got the cleanest, meanest penis You never seen this stroke of genius" is almost good enough to forgive him saying he stopped licking clits Method Man goes hard af in "the what" that bass lick is "Juicy" for sure I would love to listen to these songs without diddy he really contributes nothing and hearing his adlibs in the background stfu the features and misogyny is going to lose it some stars from me

Во время записи альбома ни один негр не пострадал

Très bon album de rap, bien dans le style des années 90. Juste pas obligé les gémissements tout le long de l'album (surtout quand tu écoutes ça au taf)

Alltså... Detta har ju inte åldrats särskilt väl. Herregud... Texterna är ibland rent vidriga och den hopplöse Diddy förstör som vanligt det mesta. Nja... Inte helt fräscht och därför är det också svårt att betygsätta. Ja, Juicy och Big Poppa är catchy, och Biggie rappar jävligt bra men det räcker inte. Det är alldeles för unket.

3.5/5 classic rap sound, remaster on spotify was 1 hour 16 minutes long, made it about half way through then got bored. biggie is a great rapper but after 40 minutes of this i was ready to be done. his word play and flow is great but it can blend together.

Bonne découverte de cet album et de cet artiste au destin tragique

Loved this album as a kid and I love it still

Important, obviously. And musically interesting, even if many of the lyrics—and the posturing—haven’t held up well. 3.5?

Nigga, nigga, nigga...

they need to release a version with Puffy edited out

I quite enjoyed this. I don't know if I would ever pick this to listen to again as a whole album, but its a really excellent showcase of Biggie's skill and some superb production.

4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-notorious-b_i_g/ready-to-die/ Hip-hop classic. Not everything works (the sexual interludes are kinda weird, but also somewhat funny?), but Biggie's flow is fantastic and the beats are great (if a bit repetitive). Lyrically interesting, switching between elaborate bragging and depressive thoughts.

I'm just going to ignore the 1 minute and 31 seconds of moaning

This could have been a no brainer 45-55 minute 5/5 album if it weren't for the skits and some tracks that don't quite hold up. As a result, I never really listen to Biggie's albums in whole. Even then, this is an album made by a 22 year old who wrote lyrics about sex and guns, and with the extended edition there's now two references to Ike Turner beating Tina. But this is one of the most buttery flows you'll ever hear in your life and a rhyming ability that I think a lot of non fans overlook

This album is as gritty and raw as anything ever made. It's basically an hour straight of Biggie spitting absolutely cracked slice-of-life poems with unrelenting intensity over drum beats. By the time Juicy rolls around, that song sounds like a love ballad. Basically every word of every bar is captivating. Everything Big says flows perfectly and his unmatched ability to twist rhymes and play with your expectations gives the record a sublime level of emotional intensity.

#476/1001. I suppose there is humor here and stories which someone can relate to. Some tunes are rather enjoyable if you listen to them superficially, but I guess I'll just let biggie rest in peace and mind my own business.

Dura demasiado y los interludios están muy cringe ajsjsj, pero ps tiene unos rolones tbh

Just not my jams.

10 barra 10

i hope listening to this doesnt pay off d-i-d-d-y

favs: things done changed juicy everyday struggle big poppa rating 1.1/5

This is another debut album, and unusually, it’s the only album released prior to BIGs death. The album cover is cute. Here’s another example of a rapper who used a different name for his rap career (Chris Wallace doesn’t have a good rapper vibe). As for the music, there is little original music (there is some sampling), and it’s mostly performed by the female guests. The album is well-constructed, but it’s the usual talk about sex, drugs, guns, and shootings.

Good album cover. Looks like a xanga. Classic 90s rap themes: have-gun;will-use, cops=bad, doing drugs and drinking Moët, hooking up with women (misogynistically), being an MC, gang life. I will say, I think the delivery is a step above a lot of the other contemporary hip hop albums. It still got kind of repetitive by the end though, and even if I think it's better than other 2s, I don't want to listen again. Slur count = 207. Highlights: 'Juicy', Diana King Lowlight: Pager beeps in 'Warning' >:(

Some great tracks here. Never my jam but there's definitely a vibe to dig on.

This is one of those albums where the edifice of the five-star rating system really becomes undone. On the one hand, most of these songs staples of 90s rap music. Biggie's flow is maybe the best that's ever been. Mixed with the (unfortunately due to who produced the album) great production and fanatical nihilistic lyrics create a brilliant picture of the life that Biggie had no choice but to lead. A lot of rappers try to both rap about what their circumstances made them do, and how cool they are doing it. Biggie never did the second, and when you think he is about to, he hits you with a song like Ready to Die, or the later half of Gimme the Loot. On the other hand, this is still a 90s rap album. It's bloated in the second half, with some of the songs feeling like worse versions of previous tracks. There is the shocking amount sexism and homophobia, to degrees that are shocking now even if you consider the genre and when the album was made. Finally, the interludes, which are... well, there is a reason rappers don't do interludes nearly as much, if ever, anymore. They were a bad idea then, a pointless and lame inclusion now. I'm averaging my rating out with this, but over all this is a must listen, because despite its laws the highs are so high that it warrants a listen. A certified classic/5.

I respect the talent. I think he had some great flow. A couple of the songs I didn’t mind too much, but there was way too much violence and misogyny for me. And once again I really hate the skits. Not for me. 2/5

I liked the first 10 songs, that was enough.

Great storytelling. The beats have loads of weight and the flow is really good.

Feels like I've heard the name but don't know anything about this artist or any of the songs. First thought - ruh roh - it's 17 songs and 69 minutes long. Don't need to hear "Intro" again - bunch of yelling and screaming over some repurposed/sampled beats. "Me and My Bitch" is a really romantic love song - I bet this is popular at weddings /s The beats and music are pretty cool - but it looks like most of that has been ripped off ("sampled") from others. Most of the lyrics are just not for me and I don't need to hear them again. "Respect" was the best song on this until the end, but I found a version without the original ending. I ended up liking 2 songs: "Everyday Struggle", "Respect (edited version)" Liked songs on Spotify: 2/17 Rating: 1/5

I think you'd be hard pressed to find better baseline, beats, and flow. The lyrics are hit or miss. There's some good in there, stories and culture, but there's also just unnecessary nonsense and vulgarity. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-vulgarity, it just needs to have more purpose than "it sounded cool to my homies".

JC!

There are some good ones (Juicy, Big Poppa). But then a lot of these songs and skits are more like Notorious Pig, not BIG. And now (like Ericka and I discussed) the shit lyrics in lots of the songs are making me question the ones I've liked for a while.

Biggy is the most overrated rapper ever. That doesn't mean he's bad (though sometimes he is), it just means that if he hadn't been killed I don't think he'd be held in such esteem. The album is fine, but too long. The steady stream of "bitches" gets really old, too.

Everyday Struggles reminds me of living in Baltimore, really the whole album.