Ready To Die

Not my style but I did like Ready To Die.

Okay, I get it Biggie, you have a gun and you’re not afraid to use it. 2 stars.

Not into gansta rap, all the BITCH, FUCK, NIGGAS, MF, ASS, BLACK STEEL, BIG BOOTY lyrics are not part of my world, I have never been an aggressive man and always hated the alpha males who brag and hit instead of trying to reflect upon themselves. Add that is not the political rap that I do get, go and fight the system like e.g. Public Enemy instead of focusing on your own genitals and how tough you are. So I can try to review the music which is i general nice, good samples, nice rhythms. But it does not work, all this gangsta shit annoys me too much. 2 stars.

notorious b.i.g. should absolutely be part of this list! his ready to die album contains one of his biggest songs, "big poppa," and is a double album that could've been shortened. truth be told, i don't think i've ever heard of a debut double album before! the song "everyday struggle," written by him, is possibly showing him at his most vulnerable but also revealing his frustrated commentary toward society. the songs that included misogyny and/or objectification and/or overt sex noises, well, i could do without those. but continually, the samples chosen for this entire album were by black artists. there were a few exceptions, but there are so many black artists used that notorious b.i.g. must have done this purposefully.

This is undoubtedly an incredibly influential hip-hop album. As someone who isn't even much of a fan of hip-hop and rap music, I recognized a few of these songs or lyrics from these songs that have long-time significance in pop culture. That said, the album just didn't do much for me. Biggie can definitely rap, no doubt about it, but I just didn't find myself really personally appreciating the content.

Laidback flow der minder om G-funk. Mangler hooks der hænger fast og adskiller hvert track fra hinanden. Jeg mangler at blive “trukket” ind af musikken. Voldsomme lyrics der handler om kriminalitet og mord. Den tilbagelænede lyd og ekstreme tekst giver en foruroligende kontrast.

Not for me. Music was good. Can’t relate to lyrics

Man, does this guy talk about his dick a lot.

Good structure, and nice touch in the Intro with the progression of music genre till the HipHop, but I'm not a fan of listening this kind of Rap and less one Full CD.

Ei tosiaan huonointa ysäriräppiä vaan aika hyvää, jonkinlainen raskaus tässä kiehtoo. Toisaalta tosi vähän jäi mieleen paitsi kaikki dick-jutut. Vois muuten olla kolmonen eli hyvä, mutta mieleenpainuvuuden puuttumisen takia pakko antaa vähemmän.

Overhyped? Definitely, but at least I can understand what is being said. Though I almost didn’t get that far because Intro is just god awful. Thankfully, the rest of the album isn’t as stupid as that track but it is rapping about the typical material found on a rap album. Only gets a 2 because I can understand the lyrics.

No es mi estilo

This album made me feel uncomfortable due to content and language. I like some rap but can’t relate to this. I listen to music for enjoyment and didn’t not experience that with this album

I liked it more than I expected to. But that isn’t saying much. I quite like most of the production, solid old school hip hop vibes. It’s very bleak. Any album that has a track where the artist records themselves enacting their own suicide is in a very dark place.

Juicy is a classic but otherwise this album is a bit dated and not totally my taste for rap from this era.

Into - already got me semi stressed I don't do well with hearing arguing lmao Gimmie The Loot goes so hard and kinda makes me laugh a bit but idk why he felt the need to keep the coughing in at the end. did not love that :)

Some classic tunes but a little dated. Just wanted to listen to Nas through most of it.

Not really my interest - but the stories in the lyrics are very compelling.

nah not listening to all of them songs

Ikkje så egna til å hørra på på jobb

Man wippt automatisch mit, nix dolles.

I am probably missing something and hopefully someone will fill me in. Seemed like gun culture, fear and misogyny were the main themes

The skits were horrific. I didn't really enjoy it at all, but a few tracks were kinda cool

He was really good at this on a mechanical level, I just don’t like or relate to the lyrics.

Ну... и? С Big Poppa я ВОООООБЩЕ не протащился. Я не понимаю, как это работает, объясните... у меня не тот цвет кожи? Вот трек Respect - вот это тема; остальное куда-то мимо...

I know Biggie is supposed to be one of the greatest, but he’s too misogynistic and derivative to me. Didn’t compare well with Public Enemy either who preceded this choice.

Unfortunately probably too soon after a Snoop album to hear this one for me - more of the same glorification of gang violence, drugs and misogyny which I totally get is an album its time, but a hard listen with 2023 ears when I have no nostalgia for any of these tracks. I can appreciate his skill, his rap had an incredible flow, but I'd rather not hear him getting blown thanks. Biggest track: Just playing (Dreams)

I can respect the rhyming, and the flow, and the beats, BUT... it's basically the same song over and over with a slightly different sound each time. Every song is "I'm awesome and I'm going to kill everyone". I couldn't get through the whole album because I felt like I was listening to a skipping record.

Whole album not on Spotify. I love hip-hop....but not this style usually so here goes Everyday Struggle is by far the best track. More complex/detailed lyrics Getting bored of gangsta subjects and wording. Not my style of hip-hop/rap. Don't understand how this type of hip-hop/rap had got more popular than the likes of Jurassic 5 or Dilated Peoples, native tongues etc I give up, just don't like subject matter or rather the wording chosen to rap about it. Beats good on the album but lyrics not for me. 2 stars for beats

It's not really for me

Not the worst thing I’ve ever had to listen to, but it was much too long and definitely not my cup of tea. I can kind of understand the appeal, but it just doesn’t do it for me. 2/5

1994, рэп. На 200% слышал gimmie the loot в каких-то сэмплах раньше, но не сам трек. И как будто бы минус из Big Poppa мне знаком. В остальном альбом слушал впервые. Забавно, но флоу и лирика очень напоминают мне кровосток. И это справедливо! Та же гангстерская тема и бредовые фантазии успешных бандитов. Только если кровосток читает в рамках "шальных девяностых" то BIG в реалиях комптона и чёрных районов. Эдакий GTA:SA. Кстати, этих треков там точно не было? Наверное, не было, гта чуть раньше происходит И я уверен, что альбом хорош, но из-за того что это рэп -- плотный поток слов, рифм, сленга -- это мало того что продукт своего времени, так ещё и имеет довольно сильный языковой барьер. Конечно, чекнул genius lyrics, да, текст прикольный. Но тут я поставлю 2/5 -- прослушал и никаких эмоций нет. Едем дальше.

Nearly everything I hate about Rap.

Fuck me (interlude) luisteren op kantoor is niet iets wat ik zou aanraden.

Bit of a slog to get through. Blatant explicit material just really doesn't do it for me

Who Shot Ya? definitely plays different now. The various sex skits plays like a middle schooler with unrestrained access to youtube.

Can appreciate the album for is informed on modern music but hated the way he described women.

Some nice production but everything else is just cliche. The usual ‘ive had it tough but now im loaded’, ‘I’ll kick ya da in’, ‘i think im the shit’ vibes. Along with the repeated use of a word Ill not say. It almost becomes filler on this record. Same pace throughout and doesnt seem to go anywhere at all. Really bland. Pointless.

Never really listened to Biggie before. He's a great rapper, much better than the others in his era, and I think if he mixed up the content a bit id be a fan. Unfortunately this album is gats/drugs/bitches from start to finish and the songs veer from tedious to uncomfortable listening. Think the blowjob skit might have the been worst section of audio on the list so far. Won't come back, it's definitely better than the chronic and when it the flow is on point you can tune out the content for a bit but ultimately I'm not a fan.

The Intro starts the album off with a bang. It was a really cool idea to have sampled songs that influenced Biggie starting the album. There are some great tracks here but the overall package is lesser because it has far too many skits. It's a shame Puffy Daddy/Puffy/P Diddy/Diddy couldn't shut the fuck up and just let the rapping shine. Like previous rap albums of this era it suffers from the same gansta rap problems I had with "The Chronic" and "Doggystyle". The long duration of this album also doesn't help.

Not my thing

It was okay I can see why some people would like it but it’s not my favourite

Not my taste.

Not my jam, but I'm obviously not the targeted audience here. There are unequivocally some good beats on this album, though.

Hard offensive rap

wow who could’ve guessed: a bland 90s rap album! it was fine like most of the others but it was so long that i’m knocking it down a star

Not my genre of music

The album has a handful of above average hip hop tracks, but with 2/3 I wondered why anyone would even consider recording it. The man is full of contempt and obsessed with sex and violence. I'm pretty sure the world became a little better the day he died. Favorite song: things done changed.

i dont really like his swagger and toxic machismo. not unlistenable but pretty close. 2 stars.

Hmm

Beats are boring. I gave up

il m’a saoulee

yeah nah.

Pretty hard to get through. Definitely not my thing.

I can sometimes enjoy a little hip hop in moderation, but I just get tired after a whole album of it. I know this one's a certified classic but it's not for me. The best part of hip hop is the lyrics, and the music often takes a backseat to the words

Good but not my vibe

Great reminder that men who make misogynistic music should be shot <3

Undeniable talent, great tracks and great delivery but I’m not connecting to the lyrical content at all. Skits did nothing but make me feel gross and uncomfortable. Deserves to be listened to, deserves to be on this list, but since I’m rating these based on how likely I am to want to listen to this in the future… 1.5

Some cool bits. Some eh bits. Probably not my jam ultimately.

This was a funny one to gather my thoughts around. Biggie has such a legacy and his skills are clear. Still felt kinda put off by quite a number of tracks and skits, and his reliance on discussing fairly misogynistic content. Great production from Diddy and some staples of classic hip hop, but I couldn’t help but feel a lot of the record was overshadowed by some bars that have not aged well - honestly it’s surprising this aspect would have been well received at the time. Maybe I’m missing something. Two and a half. Fave track: Juicy

The guy’s got great cadence with his rapping and some of the beats are good but it was a bit of a chore to get through. Plus can’t say I’m a fan of the glorification of violence and mysogeny

I like the soul samples

The beats and lyrical flow is good, but the lyrics are so abhorrent, I would never listen to this again.

Meh. As usual, quite cringey.

I’ve never listened to this style of rap before except for big poppa. Not sure what I was going into besides this being a classic I haven’t experienced yet. Some songs really didn’t do it for me but some did. Really surprised with the amount of sounds included.

Alongside other examples of the genre from the same time, this sounds like a parody - the music is repetitive and dull, the lyrics vacuous, and the posturing just designed to appeal to early teenage boys.. As things turned out, the ‘don’t give up the day job’ advice was unnecessary.

Like Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted it has fantastic beats but the lyrics are absolutely not to my taste.

2/5

There are times when all this is ok. It’s kinda typical of rap at the time and nothing really stands out that much. There are also times when it’s excruciatingly painful to get through and I chose to watch the time run down on the track… ‘Another 30 seconds still!?? Waaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!’

Waar was al die fuss over toen Biggie vermoord werd, als hij toch ready to die was? Ik ben overigens niet veel wijzer geworden van deze plaat.

Pretty quickly done with this, some "songs" bring down the whole. Which is a pity as there are some nice ones on it.

I didn't really like this. The songs felt too long and I kept looking thinking it was 5 minutes but it was like 3 minutes. Also, I don't really wanna listen to fake people fucking or getting head. Boring, overall. 2.49/5

Rhymes are really good and I'd give some individual songs higher ratings, but struggled to get through it because of the skits. A lot of the messages didn't age well but can't deny his talent.

Songs missing from Spotify, so only a partial listen. Too explicit for this old man. Biggie could rap though.

Je n'ai pas tellement aimé. Je n'ai pas trouvé ça mélodique, j'avais l'impression que tout était dans la voix et les textes, pas tellement dans les échantillons ni la musique. Les textes plutôt misogynes pour se donner du pouvoir, c'est moyen aussi.

I know Biggie was one of the most influential musicians of the 90s, but man, I really don't like his stuff.

I do find I need to be in a certain mood to listen to old hip hop so perhaps I’m not properly equipped to review this. Left no impact on me, I really do not think this genre warrants an hour and ten minute runtime especially with so little change to the beats. There are singles on this album that I enjoyed like gimme the loot and suicidal thoughts and I’m sure there’s a new appreciation from piercing together the song meanings as it appears to be a very personal record, but I just had no drive to look deeper into this album and found this a real chore to get through. I’ll say a 2 just because I reckon on a different day I would enjoy a lot more.

Ready To Die sadly lacks the deep cuts to justify being remembered as a classic hip hop record. It's pretty shocking that Rolling Stone has this as the number 1 hip hop album of all time. The inability to change subject matter, the awkward flows, the rhymes that occasionally verge on being nursery rhymes and the same damn tempo from tracks 2 to 9 that genuinely make me skip through each song all muddle up into what makes for a really tedious listen. The content of his songs are riddled in excessive violence, homophobia and misogyny. But that's not my issue with Ready to Die. My issue is that the tunes musically and lyrically don't justify the length of this record. An hour and 16 minutes of essentially the same themes being repeated over and over is a complete and utter waste of time. That said, the hits really hit, and completely carry this record to heights that it doesn't really warrant. 'Gimme The Loot', 'Juicy', 'Big Poppa' and 'Who Shot Ya' are era defining tracks of the genre, and are undeniably catchy. They also have the most melodic samples and offer much needed musical diversity in this 19 song track list. 'Suicidal Thoughts' however is the clear highlight of this record. It is a genuine self reflective and extremely dark song that doesn't hold back at all. The almost ad-lib like phone recordings of his friend talking creates this conversational structure that creates a narrative. His friends voice grows from being half-awake, to completely fearful and insistent, as Smalls' rapping continues past each plea to stop and remain calm. An incredible track that I'm glad reached mainstream success. It is still not a good listen overall. 19 tracks is simply too bloated. Every now and then some great tunes pop up that are instantly recognisable and really catchy, but that doesn't occur frequently enough to keep me engaged. I commend Smalls as being a necessary and genre-defining artist, but I don't think he really had the musical prowess to create a truly cohesive and consistent record. I only enjoyed 5 out of 19 tracks, so I can't give it much more than a 2.

This is the first time I've listened to Biggie, somehow it all passed me by. Now all things good and bad lead to the Fabs, somehow, somewhere. Listening to this my mind turned to Revolution No.9, that it is the first real sampling record and my mind turned to what would JL have thought of hip hop living in NY in the 80's. I'd think he and Yoko would have leapt right in. Anyway...number 9...motherfucker..number 9...cocksucker...number 9... Look, like Eminem I get what Biggie is coming from, which explains the hardcore themes and images, but unlike Mr Mathers a lot of these rhymes are kindergarten and silly, man if you going to use the phrase "clean penis" make it work ok motherfucker...cocksucker..? This is an entirely humourless record, its all about Biggie fool and not much reflection beyond that. Respect to Big Poppa though, me and the other 688,0000 likes. My biggest gripe though is the tempo. Please, please some variation in the tempo would go a long way, mate you've got the sampler at your finger tips and yet it's the same beat, I cracked by track 7. It is so constant in its pacing you could use the first half of this for one of those sleep tracks, like sounds from a British pub, it would be drifting off to the sounds of a motherfucker.

Never heard this as was fiercely resistant to this generation of hip hop in 1994. Opened my mind later but it does mean I don't have nostalgic memories of thinking this was the greatest record of all time or whatever, I didn't even know who he was when I heard he had been killed. I still can't imagine a time when I want to kick back and listen to someone rap about bitches and guns for over an hour, and however good this is for other stuff, that's what this mostly is. Stuff like Things Done Changed, Everyday Struggle and Juicy are best. But yeah the album feels like it goes on forever, and I don't have any residual fondness for tracks, so not for me.

I might be ready to die, but I sure wasn't ready to listen to this album.

Having heard a lot about The Notorious B.I.G. over the years, I figured I should listen to something from him at some point. Looks like I’m there today. I liked the way he opened the album at birth. Interesting concept. I can appreciate how real and raw this all feels. Uncomfortably so quite often - with some pretty explicit sex and misogyny that turned me off. Not something I expect I’ll ever revisit.

Don't get the love for this. It's all pretty basic gangsta rap, the skits are awful and the lyrics are often unpleasant and misogynistic. And there's nothing anywhere near as good as 'Mo Money.." though Big Poppa is grudgingly the best song.

rap classico, parla di clitoridi e che un suo amico è morto

actually worse than I expected there are more than one instances of gross sex noises a couple hits keeps this afloat 2.5

pallar inte snusk!!

Helt greit. Et par gode sanger.

This one was odd. A track would start, I'd be really digging it then by about the 3/4th mark I'd be bored of it. There was a lot i liked but everything just kinda seemed to overstay its welcome. Probably won't revisit but i can totally see why he was such a big deal in the 90s.

Most of my rap education has come via this project, so I'm pleased to be tackling this important album and listen to this pivotal artist. The cover art combined with the album title is ... distressing. Jumping right in: Things Done Changed is really strong, I like it a lot. Gimme the Loot is less interesting and Machine Gun Funk doesn't do it for me at all. Warning is impressive in its own way but I'm afraid I'm not the audience Biggie is speaking to. Just Playing definitely felt like a bridge too far. I guess I'm much closer to being the audience he is trying to offend then the people he is speaking to. I respect the accomplishment but only enjoyed a few tracks, namely Things Done Changed and One More Chance (because it made me laugh out loud).

Andrew W.K. did it better.

Great rap albums only need a handful of good songs; this falls short.

As per other rap albums previously reviewed, some interesting things going on with the music, some predictable things going on with the lyrics. This just does not appeal to me

I'll start with the positives. Some of the beats are epic, and there's no denying Biggie's vocal dexterity is impressive. However, I just can't get overly excited about and admittedly disadvantaged guy venomously spitting about gratuitous violence, avarice, misogyny and supposed sexual prowess. Glad I've listened to it as it probably is worthy of it's place on the list in terms of it's significance to the development of Rap and Hip-hop, but I won't be listening again. Honourable mention to the reference of pagers making this album somewhat of a time capsule, Biggie's demise coming many years before much more advanced communication technology, his deference to being paged is somewhat sweet if you can overlook all of that other stuff I mentioned.

Yeah nah

Some classic songs on there and nice beats throughout, but as a whole that album didn’t vibe with me. Sounds like Biggie had a lot to work through, but I can’t deal with all the misogyny and talk of murder.

Yeah nah, no thanks. Intro is a great start but it quickly degenerates and then just gets worse. The only highlight along the way was Juicy.

Didn’t like this as much as 2pac & public enemy, in terms of 90s rap

Not for me at all. Highlights: Juicy, Machine Gun Funk

Kolejny czarny album przekradl sie na liste, padlo na ready to die pana Biggiego, ktory jest jego studyjnym debiutem z 94, jest to plyta z zlotej ery czarnej gry i preludium do wielkiego beefu east vs west, jak zaczac to z przytupem, bo jest to potezny 69 minutowy krazek, przepakowany samplami dostarczonymi przez gorno juz w tamtym czasie uznanych producentow, zaczynajac od puffiego konczac na premierze, chociaz warto jeszcze wspomniec o panu easy mo bee, ktory sporo trakow wyprodukowal, pomimo tego ze jest to ultra gangstra hardkorowy material, to jednak sproo beatow ma w sobie funkowe brzmienie co jest zasluga samplowania, czego najlepszym przykladem jest juicy z probkowaniem juicy fruit, lirycznie notoryczny B.I.G jest okresalny jako geniusz opowiesci stapajacych twardo po ziemi, oczywiscie chodzi o gettowa ziemie, bo co jak co background do gloszenia czarnej ewangelii to mial, a dodatkowo otaczanie sie proroczymi wizjami wczesnego zgonowania, jak nawet glosza tytuly krazkow, tylko pomoglo stworzyc legende, jak przystalo na gangsta rap nie moglo zabraknac watkow wygodnego zycia pedzonego na sodomie, co slychac w roznych biczowych lirykach, czy nawet fukowych skitach, ktore nie wnosza nic poza yikesowaniem, ale jak teraz slucham calosci, to sporo trakow wydaje mi sie mocno srednia w porownaniu do tego co pamietam z biggiego jako klasyki, do plusow plyty mozna dodac skormna liczbe featurow, bo rappowo pojawia sie jedynie method man na the what, reszta to refrenowe wokale w klimatach rnb czy reggae jak na respect od pani diany king, wiec utwierdzilem sie w tym, ze nie jestem fanem albumow szerokiego pana, bo tak przyziemnie historie sa dobre dla ludzi ktorzy nimi zyja lub dla ignorantow ktorzy chcieliby nimi zyc, a czy sodoma i dazenie do kolejnych zer na koncie w celu poprawy swojego statusu spolecznego jest rozsadnym celem egzystencji, jeszcze zabawniej to brzmi w ustach kogos kto uwaza system w ktorym zyje za niesprawiedliwy i nieludzo go traktujacy, wiec bedzie gral wedlug jego zasad w celu wygrania jego gierki, bo jak inaczej nazwac szol biznes jakim jest rap w takim wydaniu, na plejke dobrzce wspomniany wczesniej trak juicy, bo najwieksze szlagiery juz wczesniej sie na niej znalazly

Um, so this album didn't really age too well. The lyricism is the problem, a lot of it didn't sit right with me. As for the skits... well, I think they weren't necessary at all. Big Poppa and Juicy are the only songs I like and will continue to listen to.

Not for me but actually fairly fun as it went on

I can hear that this holds together both as an album and a story, but I think I am a bit old for an hour and a quarter of wall-to-wall “guns and b*tches”. The backing generally flows well but I have to say I actually find ol’ Notorious’ voice a bit monotonous and emotionless after a while.

Not exactly Sunday morning listening, not exactly how I like my hop hop either. The Daisy Age this isn't. It's very tight and well crafted, but doesn't speak to me. The life story samples aren't worth a second listen. My ears pricked up with the MTME Juicy sample.

Me da pereza escuchar un disco entero. Alguna canción puede ser buena pero un disco entero es demasiado

An album stuck in 1 the 90's and seen as trashy now. You can see it's influence on modern hip hop.

Yeah, the rhymes may be great, but the beats are not doing any favours for me. I'm gonna have to go 2 or 3 tops - the skill and the flow push it towards 3, but the edgelordy skits and the repetitive beats, themes etc push it back down to two. I wanted to like it, I really did.

Already done this one: "Good rapping, not great subject matter, kinda dull beats, too much sex."

this album actually was like so weird it made me uncomfortable and it was strange like he has good beats but idk man

Excellent album to put on at family dinners. ... ok seriously for a minute putting aside the tough language (which for me does get distracting quickly...and then even more so) this is my first true foray into Biggie and it's pretty good - I love the production and heavy head-bobbing beats. As for Big's actual rapping I like it a lot - he's forceful, very rhythmic (which is definitely my preference). Super tragic, obviously; it would have been great to hear how he progressed because this as a debut was damn impressive. So it's tough for me to give this a good rating because...when I notice lyrics on an album it's usually for a bad reason. I noticed these lyrics. eh, not to be all pearl-clutching but ... they were a lot to take in the best of songs :D and at the worst they're just gross or even worse. The skits are stupid even by stupid standards and it all started to slide further about halfway through. So on a musical level it's definitely fantastic, and again - a damn shame he died early because if he had grown a little lyrically who knows how good he would have been but for this album I gotta think a lot of the praise is too damn apologetic - these lyrics are awful. Could recommend a few songs and again - the music is pretty great everywhere but it all gets dragged down by the misogyny and infantilism. 4/10 2 stars.

I do like some rap, and I do appreciate this, but it's just a little too crass for my everyday tastes.

whatevs

3/10. Ugh, this was so long and so samey and had a ninety-second interlude that was just sex noises. I could sort of see the appeal of it at times, but also it just wasn't for me.

No es mi genero claramente. En cualquier caso, no le pongo más por que no creo que me lo ponga más veces.

Some funny lyrics but all the skits and sound effects really annoy me

Really liked some of these songs but they were buried in so much unfunny bullshit. If I wanted to listen to unfunny bullshit I'd put Radio 4 on.

Simple effective production, and the rap was really easy to listen and flowed well. However the themes/message really didn't resonate with me. I much prefer the 90's hip hop by Guru, the native tongues, etc

Didn't really like this one that much, but can hear some very classic 90s hip-hop elements.

I probably need to revisit this on a different day because I struggled to get through this one. Music keeps this from being a 1, but I don't understand the critical acclaim for what's basically a one-note album filled with threats and gunshots.

First listen. Heard of him before, don't know the songs at all. 2/5. I like the sampling. Need time to know the songs. The language is a huge negative for me.

Good rapping, not great subject matter, kinda dull beats, too much sex.

2.0

BIG has flow. He voice and attitude are great. And though i'm generally okay with the gangster approach, i tired of the misogyny/bitch content quickly, and much of the album wasn't nearly as engaging as i had expected from this seminal release.

Ok rap not a big fan

Joopajoo. Äärimmäisen keskinkertaista ganstarappia muutamilla genrelle ominaisilla välioutouksilla varustettuna. Big Poppa oli ihan hyvä biisi.

Gangsta rap - pretty much what I expected

Some interesting raps but generally repetitive with foul language

This album is a lot to take in. A definitive album for it's time, but really heavy.

Obnoxious motherfucking skits

Meh

In Conclusione: In gran parte per me i problemi sono gli stessi del Wu-Tang anche se qui a tratti ha mantenuto più viva la mia attenzione perché ogni tanto i testi funzionano di più. Comunque continuo veramente a non capire il senso di questo genere, tanto più che Notorious BIG è considerato uno dei più grandi esponenti. Perché c'è sempre d'obbligo la canzone con l'audio del pompino? Sicuramente lui sarà stato il primo eh, però... Mi rimane la sensazione che di tutto quello di cui potrebbero parlare ora che so usciti dallo spaccio e dalla criminalità in gran parte scelgano sempre di parlare delle stesse cose codificate dal genere con qualche eccezione e infatti le eccezioni so sicuramente più interessanti. Poi sto fatto che si so probabilmente ammazzati per le faide aperte con le canzoni mi sembra un epilogo tragicomico. Insomma per carità rispetto la sua popolarità ma probabilmente non me lo risentirò mai.

Music and beats are good. Voice doesn't grate. Don't care much for content.

Met moeite geluisterd naar dit album. Absoluut niet mijn ding. Maar een nummer apart zou ik eventueel wel luisteren. Het volledige album is wat te veel

Rap

Too much sweary potty mouth.

Angry, angry young man...

A much more melodic and enjoyable listen than I'd expected. Point off for track 8, general misogyny and for trying to rhyme 'air' with 'player'.

fehlt ja einiges bei spotify, ordentlich frauenfeindlich auch. brrr.

Im oftmals hohlen Macker biz des hiphop geht’s nicht ohne sie: Frauen! Als Thema zum Abarbeiten würde hier 2/3 der Tracks jede Grundlage fehlen, im smoothen Refrain ihre sanften Vocals zum Polstern stumpfer Kanten, zuletzt in lobenswerten Collabos („Respect“). Eingedenk dessen und einem teils skizzenhaft-tapey Charakter des Werks: 1.6

Juicy, big poppa, once more Chance much de hip hop

Hip-hop soez.

2/10 Prescindible

Rap coñazo.

this one missed me. a couple of tracks were definitely worth another listen, but i kinda always felt like this particular slice of ny hip hop was just not for me. a whole lot of showboating, but the flow just wasn't there. maybe it was just how it was at the time, but in the end, i didn't love this one.

I don’t hate the music in this, but the content is not my favorite.

meh, I won't remember this album.

Certainly better than I expected. Though there's some decent stuff here, the album is massively let down by a) being way longer than it has any right to be b) a number of very poor songs that do nothing but pad the already excessive runtime c) why the fuck is there a song that's literally just sex noises

old school hiphop. not terrible but not my thing. lyrics might have been great but could not be bothered to actally listen to them

I get pretty tired of the theatrics and f-bombs dropping. Beats are pretty dope.

I don't really like rap, but I know this one is a classic. Still not a fan though.

Wie so oft bei hip hop: geeht so.

Not bad, not really for me. Interesting beats and lyrics. Maybe a bit too "Thug" for my mood

old rap . nothing note worthy .

I recognize that this album objectively pretty great, but it didn't really do it for me. It's not one I would listen to again by choice. 2 stars.

okay echt nice & chilled und sogar zum Arbeiten gut aaabeeeer: diese Sounds am Ende??! Bree das klingt total komisch und wenn jemand reinkommt würde er denken, ich A) spiele ein egoshoot Game B) schaue Pornos C) höre mir random Konversationen zum Spaß an

i am not looking forward to this... Yeah this was definetly not for me, id give it like a 1.5/5. i can see why other people would like it tho, he has a nice voice and good flow but i just cant get behind a some of the stuff here especially about the beating women and the sex in the interludes and stuff. i dont really like or listen to alot of rap music and this kind of reminded me why. I did think some of the songs had good storytelling tho like the one where he was robbing something and the beats were pretty good overall. I am glad i listened tho.

Another rap intro/ woman giving birth FFS Things done boring and shit Gimme the loot sounded ok they bounced off each other but then ruined it by coughing up shit ay the end. Machine gun funk repetitive shit Warning shit Ready to die shit One more chance - voicemail messages he’s clearly a dick 🤣 Fuck me- thought I’d flicked Pornhub on 🥵 Juicy- that told the teachers 😂 WTF is happening at the end of respect… BJ action maybe? Suicidal thoughts- wanting to go to heaven to get his dick sucked.. Can’t even be arsed to put it into a review, I’m off to have a wank to one of the tracks instead! 😂 Best track- ‘gimme the loot’ Worst track- ‘one more chance’ I won’t be giving this album another chance! 1.5 .5 of that for the album- the other 1 for the sexual action 🤣

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die I bet he wasn't. Weirdly, I didn't mind this rolling along in the background. Obligatory shit intro excepted, the first few tracks offered enough variation and decent beats to engage me, and I quite liked his rapping style. But then I listened more closely to the lyrics 😳 What a load of horrible, misogynistic nastiness. So there's points lost. Then it turned into a porn soundtrack, more points lost. Then I read P Diddy was involved....even more points lost. Only track that I stopped and restarted was Respect. Ironically because I liked the dancehall style female vocal. Finally it ended and I went for a shower to de-soil myself. 2/10

no.. just no.. what the fuck is any of that..

Unfortunately, was genuinely unable to start this project with the knowledge of what's inside, and who produced it...

Gangsta rap is niet mijn ding

See reviews of Cypress Hill, Ice Cube -- similar thoughts about this one. As music (and lyrics), not very interesting to me (indeed, the music is basic and uninteresting, and the lyrics are oppressive). So, a low 2 stars (?) . . . actually, though, now that I think about it, the samples and beats on this one were actually less interesting than on the Cypress Hill and Ice Cube albums, so I think I have to give this one 1 star.

I still love Big Poppa but sadly I can't with this album.

No es lo mío

Not my genre so hard to gauge but the overall beats, samples, and lyrics didn't really grab me.

If this is "Ready to Die" ... does that mean we made it to the end of the list?

I really can't get into rap. A shame because the rhythms and beats are so innovative. Just get shut off by the lyrics.

Not a fan

hmm

Not my cup of tea. Too sweary and crass.

Not my genre

Got through 3 tracks. Not for me.

Se un album inizia con un bambino che piange, riceve automaticamente una stella. I don't care

Call me culturally snob (although I listen to quite a lot of punk stuff) but I will never get this shit

Flows for sure, but the lyrics are appalling and repetitive.

rap? ... rap doorgespoeld ja...

If you, or a loved one is feeling suicidal, call the suicide hotline.

0.7/5 I've seen the biopic and that was ok but I don't like his music. I've never liked rap and this didn't do anything to change my mind.

The link is wrong. use this - https://open.spotify.com/album/2HTbQ0RHwukKVXAlTmCZP2?si=wvjD_G_wTJ-WxnLDKOV7KQ

this is not for me.

Even worse than Arrested Developement in terms of lyrics. What's up with all that *insert insult of your choice here, but make sure it hurts* making rap music? I know there are good rappers with good lyrics out there. Would give this dumb piece of an album -1001stars if I could.

I really didn't need to hear about how much sex this fat asshole was supposedly getting.

This is garbage

Bro, odio el rap. Es que no es mi movida, lo siento.

no me gusto nada

The music's not bad, but for lyrics I give it a zero. I really do not appreciate the misogyny in this kind of music.

No.

I think one of my least favorite things, musically, is the skits/interludes in the middle of an album. This timeframe saw this get used way too much if you ask me. At any rate, I've never been a biggie fan and this did nothing to change my mind. 3-4 minute skits, seriously? No thanks.

Live by the sword....

why did porn come on while i was studying japanese

This is not for me at all. Did not enjoy any of it.

Nope

Got halfway through before I couldn't take any more.

The closest I've come to a DNF. Terrible but I made it through

Terrible

No es mi onda

Not my thing, pero puedo entender por qué es bueno dentro del género.

Overrated

Why?

Nope

ew

I don’t love it, I don’t like how rappers talk about women Fav song: everyday struggle

Overall this album was long and the topic content repetitive. A product of its time that doesn't look as good in the light of the modern day. BIG had skill as a lyricist but like a chef that has only one really good dish a steady diet of the same thing doesn't taste nearly as good. Assuming the autobiography of the work no doubt he had it hard and made choices to get by. It doesn't strike me as strongly as other hip hop albums and won't likely ever revisit it.

overall rap sound may be bearable even quite enjoyable at times. There is some talent here but very clear glorification of tough guy gang robbery, violence, shooting, murder and offensive language is hard to swallow. If there is a positive message in there its buried in blood and bullets. I would not waste my time or money supporting this album. What is scary is all 5 star elevation it is recieving regardless. It does very little to boost my confidence in humanity. We need to rise above this mentality.

A lot of folks revere him, a lot hate him. I'm not interested.

I'm not a prude, but I don't think I really knew what "explicit" was before listening to this. Wow. There's a whole song about the size of his dick. A bunch of really explicit sex stuff. A bunch of drug selling stuff. The hit single is still good but more because of its like Isley Brothers sample and what they added to it that makes the original almost sound empty without it. I didn't enjoy this album.

Great rapper, no doubt. The lyrical content is explicit and usually violent and sexist and you might excuse that with the genre and a realistic image of the times and the scene he describes. What I really can't abide is "Just playing (Dreams)". That's absolutely disgusting misogyny and in no way excusable as being just a joke or whatever. F* this toxic sh*!

Yeah no. Its interesting, but... not of this time. Intro starts with a birth, then an argument, then a train robbery? What?

Legend. Or so they say. This was literally nothing but recorded sex acts, drug sales, and crime. Shorties and forties. This ain't even hardcore. No message, no flow. The album is a series of songs WITH THE EXACT SAME BEAT. Utterly disconnected from my reality. I'm glad that the fellows in UK who thought I needed to hear this before I die got me to listen. I won't waste my time on the next Biggie album.

I do think I need to be in a certain mood to listen to 90s hip hop so perhaps I’m not in the right mindset to review this. Left no impact on me, I really do not think this genre warrants an hour and ten minute runtime especially with so little change to the beats. It seems to me the biggest thing to gripe about is the skits, which for the most part fit the theme of the album. Usually when I don't like skits are when they’re needless sections between song. Most of them fit the theme of hyper violence and street life. But I’m glad I didn’t listen to this in a public space. Anyways, I’ll say a 1 just because on a different day I might enjoy a lot more. Did I need to hear this before I die? No

I know this is supposed to be a legend but these lyrics could come from a 13 year old hormone monster...damn stupid bitch hoe my big dick crap...

Ghetto rhymes. Live for the Funk? Hardly. Simple noise for simple minds. No thanks.

Yuck! Cannot tolerate the lyrics

Het is wel een prestatie om mij in de eerste 60 seconden te laten afhaken. Weer van dat doodsaaie, boze geouwehoer. Het leven is te kort om hier mijn humeur door te laten verpesten. En een kort leven, daar wist deze meneer dan helaas weer alles van.

I could not finish this album. Gun fire, pervasive n-word. I did not enjoy the underlying music like I did with dr. Dre one star

Five stars for artistic merit, minus four stars for Diddy.

Ready To Die (1994) ist das Debütalbum des US-amerikanischen Rappers The Notorious B.I.G. und gilt als prägend für den East Coast Hip-Hop und Hardcore Hip-Hop der 1990er Jahre. Die Aufnahmen entstanden 1993 und 1994 in den D&D Studios, The Hit Factory und Chung King Studios in New York City. Inhaltlich verbindet das Album autobiografische Elemente mit einer nüchternen, teils schonungslosen Darstellung des Lebens in Brooklyn. Die Produktionen setzen auf markante Beats und soulige Samples, ohne die erzählerische Stimme in den Hintergrund zu drängen. Zu den bekanntesten Songs zählen „Juicy“, „Big Poppa“, „One More Chance“ und „Gimme the Loot“. Sie zeigen sowohl die radiotaugliche Seite als auch die rohe Straßenperspektive des Albums. Für mich wirkt das Werk geschlossen und konsequent umgesetzt; es dokumentiert einen Wendepunkt im New Yorker Rap und besitzt bis heute Gewicht innerhalb seines Genres und es ist halt mal wieder Hip-Hop-Gedudel das nach einer gewissen Zeit den Puls in die Höhe treibt.

p743. 1994. 1 star. (C)rap. Sample "lyrics": motherfucker bitch nigga motherfucker dick fuck shit motherfucker bitch nigga fuck motherfucker nigga You, too, can be a best selling rap artist. Hard pass.

Musically, the production is top-notch and Biggie's flow is undeniable (great use of funk samples). 'Suicidal Thoughts' is the perfect example of what this album should have been: concise, atmospheric, with sound effects that actually serve a narrative purpose. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience is completely ruined by the unnecessary length and, above all, the trashy skits. The explicit sexual noises at the end of 'Respect' add absolutely nothing artistic; they are just gross and childish. You can be 'real' without being cheap. It could have been a solid 3 based on the beats alone, but those 'fillers' are a dealbreaker. 1/5.

boring and juvenile.

Vile.

Niet mijn ding

Could not finish it. Too vulgar.

nope

Awful gangsta rap

Not for me. I tried, but it’s relentlessly passing me by. 1

Was originally going to give this a 2 but after reflection overnight there really isn’t anything on this album that I’d want to listen to again.

there are maybe 2 or 3 songs on here that I’d actually listen to. I cannot stand Biggie for the very things he raps about. Be constantly objectifies women, only raps about shooting himself or other and adds unnecessary sex to his songs. Biggie is a predator who had sex with an underage Lil Kim’, cheated on his wife and was abusive. I cannot listen to a known predator rap about young girls being ho’s.

1/10 Gangsta rap. Don't like it

Yeah, this sucks.

More angry gangsta rap bravado. Bored after one song. I think rap albums need to be turned into drinking bingo. Mother F, N word, female dog, and assorted shooting phrases - gets you very drunk. Maybe you can then enjoy the music?

I have no further interest in listening to this again.

No mi estilo :P

One-dimensional misogynistic posturing, replete with obscenities. And musically, it's of no interest to me.

not for me

Every song is some combination of the following themes: drugs, guns, and sex. Very generic beat and awful vulgar lyrics. What a waste of an hour of my life. Can’t stand this style of rap.

Has some good musicality with the beats and melodies and (at times) lyricism - way too much of the album is just: 'i pull them bitches with mah big ol DICK'. Thoroughly unenjoyable excepting a handful of tracks

So apparently Biggie wasn't doing a skit and actually sexually assaulted a woman on tape and then put it in his album. That's neat. Overall, more listenable than Cee-lo in terms of pure musicality, but, like, ugh.

1. Big Poppa 2. Juicy 3. One More Chance I think the key thing to enjoying music is that you relate to it - this doesn’t have to me because you have experienced an identical thing. But, you need to be able to attach a memory, emotion or similar experience to music. I have nothing to attach to this, and so it’s not something I enjoy. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, however for rating purposes I rate based on how much I enjoyed listening and would be likely to listen again. I really did not enjoy listening to this. It’s angry and swears a lot and I have nothing to relate to it. Hence, this has 1 star.

I’ll never get that hour plus back. Tried, but just not my style of music.

This is awful. I don't like hip-hop, to start with. It gets very boring and, honestly, if the beats changed a bit or something... If the lyrics were a bit more interesting... But, instead, what you get are soulless songs with basic beats and insipid and stupid lyrics that rely on violence, curse, and sex just to be less... tasteless? Well, it gets even worse. It's not that I'm opposed to using violence or sex as topics, I don't get that offended, surely, but... those lyrics? I mean, there are things that should embarrass everyone. And, when it's about making something disruptive, there are ways and ways. And it's neither disruptive but a way to reinforce very odd and dated images. And the music, again, what's the point on a so long album if there is nothing interesting on here? Well, I guess the ego. Then, I'm sorry, you may be notorious, but not big, for sure.

The opening track hooked me in, but after that it got a tad samey...and the mysogyny just sealed this album's gate for me. No thank you.

This is not quite my jam.

Don't like rap.

No thanks

Not my kind of music. Probably a masterpiece.

A notoriously BIG waste of time.

I cannot deal with the misogyny.

This thing takes all of the elements of 90s rap, turns it up to 11, and concentrates into one hour plus long package. On the plus side, it's technically brilliant. On the other hand,it concentrates and amplifies the worst morally repugnant elements of it. And masterful skill to abominable ends does not make for great craft. (Plus there's the f-slur and you know my rule.)

not my thing 1/5

Ages terribly

Gave it a go, listened to about 5 tracks, needed to make a phone call, and now I can’t be arsed to go back. I think I got the gist. He can shoot people and rhyme about it. It’s probably a 2 because of the catchy-ish beats, but ultimately even they are basic and repetitive. Not in the mood for this today.

Where do I start with this review? Hell, I won't bother because quite frankly, the lyrics alone don't deserve any further airtime. Lazy, boring, misogynistic, tripe. It's a waste of a single star

Not into gansta rap I'm afraid, so did absolutely nothing for me.

1001 Albums to listen to before you die, if I get many more like this death won’t come quickly enough. Absolute shite.

No.

Sadly Biggie was taken from us in 1997, just a couple of years earlier and he wouldn't have been able to inflict this vile nonsense on the music world.

I dunno will I ever like this kind of thing.

Yeah... this isn't for me. It's.. kinda gross. So... ... .. no. The longer it goes on the more I hate it.

I paused listening to the album between errands and couldn’t find myself to come back afterwards

N.O.P.E.

not for me

I remember now why I never got into gangsta rap. Too many guns, bitches, casual homophobia drops, etc. Not for me. Can't separate the beats and rhymes from the content.

I had never listened to this before, and I think the only song I knew going in was Juicy. This gets constantly referenced as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time though, so I guess it's finally time to see what the fuss is about. Overall, if I could just rate this on production and rapping skills, this would probably be a 5. I really like some of the songs, mainly Juicy and some of the storytelling ones near the beginning, but wow so many of these lyrics are just gross. Casual homophobia, misogyny, and passing references to domestic abuse being presented as ok. Don't even get me started on the porn sketches (the blow job one at the end of Respect completely ruins an otherwise great song). I couldn't listen to this album on anything other than headphones without being horrifically embarrassed, and I proudly listen to a lot of weird stuff on my stereo and in the car. I much prefer Illmatic, which came out around the same time, and deals with a lot of similar themes, without being absolutely disgusting in the delivery.

I did not enjoy this record, pretty much at all. The only true redeeming quality is Biggie's flow, and thats only if you don't really pay attention to what he's rapping about. Gangster rap is a product of its time, and unfortunately, I don't think it holds up at all. I couldn't imagine pulling this out at a social function and trying to convince my friends and family that the sex noises at the end of "Respect" are actually some deep introspective look at gangster culture. Its just a fat man getting some sloppy toppy from a prostitute. 1/5.

Another confirmation I'm not into classic hiphop

One of the few albums I didn't force myself to listen to every track. I try not to consider myself a prude or a puritan, but I can not handle lyrics this explicit

Déjà vu... or I suppose in this case, déjà entendu... Here we have yet ANOTHER debut rap album that runs too long and is littered with superfluous skits. Could someone please explain the obsession with this formula? And the obsession with avocado appliances in the 70s? I've never understood that one, either. I don't want to fail this, but I'm struggling to find a reason not to... I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't listen to it again, it's too long, the skits are an unnecessary distraction, the lyrics are one-dimensional (and base)... Biggie may have flow; it's just too bad he couldn't use his talent for something more... wholesome.

*No music on this album. Merely RAP and foul language

Nisam mogla slušati ovo, jbg. 1/5, 1/10

So it seems now I have become my parent. Just as my parents could not understand my rock and roll, I don’t get this music. While some of the messaging may be the same as it relates to sex and drugs, my music was a bit more discreet on the topics. The huge disconnect for me though is the obscene glorification of violence and the degradation of women. I get it, it’s real and raw, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Sorry.

Nope, couldn't get through it. I don't think I'll ever enjoy this genre of music.

American dog shit!!!!

I turned it on. Skipped through it. Its as bad now as before. Turned it off

I couldn't listen to all that. I listened to the first song but that was all I could take

Not my bag at all, tried listening to it, but rap and opera are the only two genres I struggle with. It’s a no star for me.

So passé. Why are we still idolizing people like him?

Nop, odeio isto. Next

Pucha, íbamos bien igual al principio, luego escuché las letras, los gemidos, los tracks de transición entre canciones y luego ya no pude más. Meh.

Just could not get into it. Some cool music and beats but lyrically ugh

Too long … and really not my thing.

Silleen musiikillisesti olo yllättävän monipuolista ja vaihtelevaa mutta sanotukset oli aivan kauheita. Ja miksi yhtäkkiä jotain seksiääniä😥 En nyt muutenkaan vibaillu tätä.

Gangsta-rap. På en mandag. Suk.

ew

Not my thing

Can't really listed to this after the P Diddy diddling revelations

yeah another hip-hop album that’s not really my thing

Jeez, this album is a struggle on every level!

Not my kind of music.

I hated it.

1 - Porquería total

Nem pensar!!!!

I mean I think it's just not for me, but trying to listen objectively. Couple songs with good rhythm and melodies, some good bass lines. I liked Juicy, Big Poppa, and Respect. But overall, I was just bored for most of this album. I am definitely not a fan of all the random conversations and sex sounds? mixed in throughout the album. Not everything is for everyone and that's okay, this album just wasn't for me.

Not really my thing, but gave it a try anyway.

1.5

Just way too foul for my taste

Biggie was a skilled rapper in terms of how he flowed and put together rhymes, but his vocabulary was apparently limited to profanities, epithets, and guns. Every song is about killing, stealing, or pimping, and without anything else on his mind, and no particularly great beats or hooks outside of maybe “Juicy”, over an hour of this is enough to drive me up the wall. And it ends with the rapper fictionally killing himself. I liked the movie-like progression of the album sequencing but otherwise, this was a tough, tough listen. Plus, the P. Diddy of it all makes it really hard to go back to this. I tried, I really did, but this was simply NOT for me.

Monotonous and low minded

1 ⭐️. Not my style. Too dirty.

This music hates me for being female.

Not a fan