Ready To Die

Good flow good lyrics Could do without the sex skits

Ceci était plutôt sympathique.

Even diddy's ad libs can't ruin this album. Still what is that interlude. What is that ending to Respect as well.

Some all time bars, great beats and unfortunate 90’s misogyny.

Pretty good

Really enjoyed most of it, but some of the lyrics were a little too much.

I liked his beat and rap style a lot - i thought it flowed together really nicely. It was fun to listen to a Notorious B.I.G. album since i've heard so much about him and he's known as the king of rap. Good album overall, though I did not care for how he talked about women so deffo gotta take a star off for that. Probably would give it 3.5 stars if i could but i'll just round up. My favorite song was Gimme the Loot.

I was so ready to give this a 5. The beats are immaculate. And Biggies flow is unparalleled. This was so clearly a moment in music history that changed the course of music forever. Rap was never the same after this album - everything that followed it was influenced by it whether it realized it or not. But there’s just too many weird as fuck sketches in here. Cmon. Edit. Cut. Refine. Like at 4 I still woulda given it a 5. But after like 15 audio sketches of Biggie being like “yeah suck me fat dick bitch!” You just don’t get a 5.

It’s wild to think, RUN DMC and all that was just five years before this. Some groundbreaking shit here

is there an album hornier than this one? it’s up there. loved the Method Man features. a lot of swagger goin on here, and it mostly works, particularly the first half of the album. starts to lose me in the last few tracks.

Just one of the GOATs of flow. The way Biggie's voice and rhymes glides over these beats is a wonder to behold. It's a little long, and the subject matter gets a bit tiresome after a while, but then you get to "Suicidal Thoughts" and he reminds you what he already told you on "Ready to Die": he hates this shit. He isn't glorifying this life, he's just a poet that was born into the shit. It makes you listen to the album again in a whole new way. Also, as a teacher, I have to wonder how many educators talked way less shit to their students about their future after "Juicy" came out. And another thing. One of the joys of listening to these old rap albums is noticing the lines that you've heard other rappers reference. This time, one was in "Big Poppa," which everyone's heard a thousand times, but this time I noticed the line "Giving ends to my friends, and it feels stupendous," which John Darnielle used for The Mountain Goats song "Fall of the Star High School Running Back" but in the third person. 'All Hail West Texas' should be on this list.

I just don't like rap very much

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

This album for me comes a couple days after Ice Cube, and the difference in quality is astounding. B.I.G. Has better delivery, better beats, better instrumentation, better lyrics, and let’s say… about 30% less misogyny (which isn’t super great but at least a small step in the right direction. The downside to the album is all the sexy time interludes. Maybe I’m a prude, but it was weird and off putting. It killed a great track like Respect.

More of a 2pac man myself

If this didn't have the sex skits it would be a top 10 album of all time

I can't relate and it's too vulgar for my taste.

Ready to Die is probably an important album in hip-hop history, but it never really connected with me. It’s not an album I see myself returning to.

Rate: 10/10. Another day another struggle.

like it for the most part minus all the diddy and negativity about women!!!

A very uncomfortable time capsule.

Biggie came out the gate SWINGING! He could have been the undisputed GOAT if he were still alive.

it was ok, pretty much understood some cultural pop references

the flow, the word play, the lyrical dexterity, simply ingenious. Love that several of these hits have been reworked into different genres. Could do without the entire track of sex or the literal blowjob.

A straight-up classic. Biggie's impeccable flow hits like a sledgehammer, his rough but humorous storytelling carried by efficient loops and heavy beats. No one raps like him - he's got one the most unique and immediately recognizable voices in the game. In addition to being the East Coast's answer to L.A. gangsta rap (with a few borrowed G-Funk samples to drive the point home), this album also marks N.Y. hip hop's shift towards a darker tone. Not every part of it aged well, but it's definitely a landmark of the 90s, and I never get tired of blasting the stylistic masterpiece that is Gimme The Loot. 9/10

I can hear he 's got the flow, but that doesn"t speak to me much

If I’ve always struggled to understand the near-universal worship surrounding Tupac, I find his fat counterpart much easier to get behind. The voice, the flow, the production, the emotion…this debut is incredible. Only Ice Cube gave me a similar sense of urgency and raw presence at that time. It’s unmistakably a product of the 90s, yet it still sounds very good today.

A Biggie classic. While I was in high school here on the East Coast, everyone loved Biggie, but I was always more of a west coast rap kid. It wasn’t until years later I appreciated him a lot more. And while this album is a classic, it does something I find egregious, and that is put skits at the beginning and ending of tracks instead of tracks on their own. 99% of skits suck, and not making them easily skippable absolutely sucks.

hit or miss at times

Straightforward early 90s rap. 1990 was the first year I bought a rap album (cassette). It was BDP. That got me aware of Hip hop overall. Then I was attuned to a world of hip hop where I worked, so much if Biggie's music I heard, but at the time didn't k own which group was which. This album had at least four of those songs that stuck in my head, despite me not knowing if it was Tupac, Smalls, Wu, et al. For the reminiscing, this is at least a 4. Had I gotten as familiar with this as I did with Nas, Wu, PE... I wonder if this would now be a 5. May need to listen again before I rate.

Re-Listen (obviously listened many times)

hmm kind of up and down for me. a lot of the hits, eg "big poppa", do nothing w me, and i could've done without a few of the interludes of biggie having sex, but i really liked "suicidal thoughts" + "who shot ya", esp in connection w each other. "just playing (dreams)" REALLY nice closing track. all in all probably preferred the back half of the album.

3/6

One of the most monolithic feeling hip-hop albums, like a pivotal moment for the genre and a shift into something grander and more prestigious. More than any other hip-hop album I've heard, this one really feels cinematic, a non-sequential tale of a man and his struggles, his escape from poverty, and his dreams of becoming something greater while being at constant odds with himself. It's epic and so well executed. There is no better way to set the scene for an album like this than with the first three songs here. Skits detailing Biggie's life up until he was released from prison over these classic hip-hop and soul instrumentals (signifying the period in which the skits took place) open the record - I never skip this part. It then perfectly slides into one of the best hip-hop album openers of all time, 'Things Done Changed'. This beat feels so ahead of its time. You get these glitzy strings and an overdriven bass, and a Dr. Dre sample over Biggie's rapping, where he paints a picture of the current state in which he's in, mentally, emotionally, and financially, with a strong sense of yearning for the simplicity of the past. Again, flawlessly setting the scene for the album, no matter how old you are, or how far you are geographically from Brooklyn, you've now been seamlessly transported to this place in space and time. 'Gimme The Loot' is another incredible track, one that showcases that iconic Biggie Smalls storytelling, as he plays two partners and their quest for illegal funds via stick-ups, moral codes be damned. It's pretty funny and over-the-top edgy all things considered, and the "Gimme the Loot!" hook is one of those mega-iconic hip-hop things. I do really love how this album starts, and while I do think it's overly long, with some unnecessary fluff that keeps it from being absolutely perfect, the great moments here outweigh many, if not all, the okay moments. 'Warning' is another one of those iconic Biggie storytelling moments and has maybe the fattest east-coast type beat here. 'The What' with Method Man is also another classic east-coast cut, and while it doesn't play into the grander story here, I'll always have room for a nice bragadocious song on these albums. I feel similarly about 'Who Shot Ya?', a super iconic track that's unfortunately tainted by its dark real-world implications. There aren't many features on this album; this really is just a personal Biggie story for over an hour, but the features that are here are great. Method Man is great, like I said, but honestly, Diana King on the chorus of 'Respect' wins for me; I just love her growly delivery over this funky instrumental. I did mention this album was pretty dark and personal, especially for its time. It's very similar to Pac's 'Me Against the World' in a twisted way. Because with all the fun party songs in 'Big Poppa', or the feel-good success anthems ala 'Juicy', Biggie's grapple with himself is the most glaring theme here. I mean, the album is called Ready To Die, and Biggie makes that clear. The title track, for one, acknowledges this, but also the song 'Everyday Struggle,' further details everything Biggie deals with, from all his people dying around him, to the drug crisis, and his inability to really change in the face of that. And it's all done over this very fluttery synth lead, a strong contrast to the lyrics. 'Suicidal Thoughts' is maybe the most difficult song to listen to of the bunch. Awful P Diddy interjections aside, this song features Biggie's rawest lyrics. There's an awful aggression to it that would almost seem like it came out of nowhere, but is also so obviously boiling up throughout the album once you look back at it. I do think Biggie on this album did a lot for rappers taking on more personal topics, be it love or internal struggle. It feels like Biggie isn't trying so hard to put on a tough-man facade here, as much as he is trying to reach his listeners in as genuine a state as possible. But that really depends on the song still... Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, everyone says it, and I can't really offer a counterargument or contrarian opinion to that at least. Biggie's flow is incredible; his storytelling and conceptual eye are put on full display here. The album contains two of the most popular hip-hop songs that even your grandmother could name, and also some of the most earwormy beats in '90s east-coast hip-hop. What's there not to love about "Ready To Die."

Aggression, homophobia, and misogyny. Musically engaging but not a great message to be blasting out. 2/5

Some absolute bangers on this album. I’ve never listened to it front to back but I do love me some Hip Hop. territory as well. This music in this one is a straight 5/5 for me, but the skits were so shitty and dated (I especially hated the one where he's getting head) that I have to rate it a 4.

- started out really cool listening to someone give birth, then turned into a lot of hate speech against women and that was hard to listen to - overall a lot of terrible words against women - loved the songs I already know like juicy and big poppa - i really like 'respect' first time listening - 'fuck me' did turn me on :/

I guess Intro is literally the 'birth' of Notorious BIG, a life story and the music that shaped him First impressions are that compared to other Gangsta Rap, this has much more stripped back instrumentals - also lower in the mix so the raps are front and centre. Different rapping style too, more like Public Enemy meets West Coast g-funk. More sample/loop driven than say Tupac Ready to Die reminds me of Ice Cube, with that gentle higher register funk guitar riff and the slower tempo Some of the beats here also remind me of Gorillaz later, why? Use of simple, perhaps even preset beats with short samples and loops on top? Two references to Tina Turner and Ike? What's the obsession? Best track - Ready to Die, Juicy 3 stars - it does sit in an interesting intersection of many styles but it's not technically mind-blowing or well-crafted

The skits are too are awful.

Slightly bloated, almost a perfect album. Impressive rhymes, effortless flows, and convincing style from one of the greats. Must-listen. 9/10

3/5 not my favourite, not a lot of variation and no song stands out, but still really cool. i like the jazz elements and the general vibe and would listen again

rap? ... rap doorgespoeld ja...

Bro its ready to die. All I have to say is the same shit people have said for 30 some years. I will throw in that I think im more of a biggie than pac guy now. Better raps and beats. Less into all the skits but whatever I can mostly ignore them. Its a classic and masterpiece for a reason.

Landmark 90s hip-hop album that despite the presence of Diddy and some cringe skits still holds up today. Biggie had such command of his lyrics and his flow, and the samples are a goldmine of 80s R&B. His life was tragically cut short 3 years later but this is a guy who was determined to make the most of his time and this album showcases it. Standouts: Things Done Changed, Gimme the Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Juicy, Big Poppa.

Loved: Respect Liked: Things Done Changed, Machine Gun Funk, Juicy, Everyday Struggle Okay: Warning, Ready To Die, Unbelievable Yeah, not so much: Gimme The Loot, One More Chance, The What, Big Poppa, Suicidal Thoughts What's the point?: Intro, The Interlude, Me & My Bitch, Friend of Mine Probably by average a 2 but I'm going with a 3. The good to great songs carry more weight, imo.

The first blind spot! Won’t pretend I could write anything intelligently about the cultural importance of this without diving deeper into the history. I’ll just say that I love the way it sounds, the production so jazzy and smooth and sensual even in the album’s darkest corners. Standout moment: The back-to-back sequencing of the joyous Juicy to the despairing Everyday Struggle.

Gimme the Loot is the apex of gangsta rap. Biggie was one of the greats, but still I found this to lag near the end. And I never need to hear blowjobs on vinyl. Strong 3.5⭐️

Classic

Got some great song, but it's a bit too long, a bit too big, not to mention all the (sex) skits…

Pocas veces me he sentido tan incómodo con un disco. Comienza con una familia peleando (lo tuve que saltar), en algún momento hay un track donde están cogiendo 2 minutos, luego en otro hay una chupada... No pude empatizar con nada y no entendí las letras. Ni modo

eh not rly my taste

Moved the needle with rap!! Very much worth a listen.

Got no joy out of this gangster rapper poetry. Too much anger and abuse.

Pretty decent but a long album and not one for listening to at work without headphones.

A certified classic, although I’m docking it one star due to the skits being absolutely awful. There’s one that sounds like they’re eating, just straight slurping for a good 30 seconds. Also, about 15 mins too long, I thought this album should have ended on Suicidal Thoughts.

SOLID

Let's get the most important thing out of the way - Diddy does in fact ruin this album. I would actually fuck with the skits more if Diddy was not on them. He cannot act and he cannot voice act. Even if you strictly judge him on this without the context of him being weirdo, he lacks creative talent and his presence on this album was strictly a business decision. Now if we're talking BARS? Strictly BARS? Biggie holds up. They are crass they are vulgar and some are downright unacceptable, but he's leaning into the punk side of being a growing artist. Shock value for sure. You can take out some of the misogynist bars for sure, I can't lie. Also the beats are so insane. Even on the remaster, there's a real grasp on black music history on this album. Would give it a 4.6 or 4.7 if I could, but here we are. Highlights: Juicy (ofc), Big Poppa (ofc), Everyday Struggle,

Jodido Notorious B.I.G. The what cn Method man es un banger También los clásicos de juicy y big poppa

Damn, what a concept album. Intense with good interludes, good vibes, really good flows.

i honestly do not see the point of having sound clips of people fucking or giving a blow job in the middle of these albums. its across a number of rap albums from this era and i have no time for it. it detracts from the album for me. It certainly detracted from this, which is a pity because there was some good flow on the album. all that said, I am not going to go and revisit this again. If I wanted to listen to rap there would be a plethora of albums i would choose ahead of this. One more chance was the standout track. 2.5 stars

A classic.

This album definitely had a tangible impact on influencing the later sounds of hip hop 90s and modern hip hop. The beats and rhythms of this album are incredible in some places, however unfortunately this is overshadowed by the blatant misogyny and derogatory acts towards women. Of course, across a wide range of genres and especially in hip hop this is has been the norm and unfortunately still is, however just because it was more accepted or unchallenged at the time doesn’t mean that we should ignore it or try to challenge it nowadays, and if we wish to see change in the way music and the music industry deals with women we should be more critical of lyrical context. An honourable mention is ‘things done changed’ because I liked the beat, it’s just sad hearing such normalised misogyny.

Sublime. Un 20. El comienzo

Legendary album, Biggie's presence is massive in these songs and his brutally honest stories of street and gang life are profoundly immersive. Theres a few awkward bars and interludes here keeping this from being rated higher, and one or two tracks aren't as memorable as the high points here, but this is still pretty freakin' good.

tipico big poppa, nada super mega bueno, el disco completo está bien

Huge huge huge album, some of the skits sent me a bit but god he had flow 4.0/5.0 Best Song: Juicy

*1994. *Big Poppa is the only song I knew, plus a few bits here and there. *WILD album. Sex and violence everywhere. Always. Eep! *Definitely kept my attention the whole way through. Wouldn’t revisit though. *Probably poignant for the time, but feels weird now. RATING - 7/10

8 - a classic

Just an absolute classic. The evolution of early NYC Boom Bap rapping into this laid back flow. Doing the track with Method Man just adds to it. I've struggled with the ratings system here because I've listened to 1200 albums and only like 12 of them are 10/10. I have this album as a 9 out of 10 but for here I have to give it the full 5 stars

esta algo asi, pero no se, mucho trrean y menos vocal-ritmo

Clásico, super divertido, ya lo había escuchado pero hace mucho que no y la verdad recordaba que era bueno pero no tan bueno

A few standout tracks but overall, and I know this is blasphemy to some, but Biggie isn’t my favorite.

Listening to this album and there's no surprise how biggie died

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.

It's hard to keep your head, feet and knees from moving while listening to this album. Undoubtedly, Biggie is one of the greatest in hip hop.

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

B eye g

All of this is good, not all of it is great. But god damn the good stuff is absolute essential hip hop.

Fuck me, this is not my world, but this is dynamite. "Biggie smalls on a higher plane" he's really isn't kidding. I struggle to articulate why this is so good, I just know I love it (yeah the skits are dated, but the tracks...

The delivery and storytelling is great, but it is essentially just a guy glorifying violence (before getting murdered) while his producer brags about how much sex they get (before being convicted for sex trafficking).

A gangbanger's poetry, simple-minded thinking all about robbing, killing, stealing, and defending against his enemies, all in poetry with background music, vulgar and attractive to vulgar people

Could've done without the sex interlude, but this is still absolutely a 5/5 even with it.

I don't know. Feels like another one where the narratives about the album are more interesting than the album itself. I don't think his rhymes are all that. It's terribly misogynistic. The skits suck. Somewhere in there, sure, there's some good east coast hip hop, but I can totally leave it.

definitely not one that we were going to listen to while making breakfast as a family, but definitely a hugely important album

Great album. The beginning didn't get me, but the last songs are FIRE. Awesome tracklist.

Excellent

Excelente

The sexism and homophobia did not age well, made for a rough listen. Some bangers, to be sure, but I also for sure didn't need to hear Biggie getting a beej, what the fuck.

this is not for me.

Very good. Love how they moan

Just masterful storytelling all the way through. Littered with hits, yet also has some incredible tracks that address Biggie’s mental health, which is a huge step forward at the time.

It’s hard to say much that’s negative when it comes to Biggie, especially with this album that has such iconic songs on it. The only thing I didn’t enjoy were the 90s rap interlude skits, I’m so glad that’s no longer a trend in music. Could be a five, but the length and explicit sex skits bring this one down.

Someone gets either shot or fucked in every song. No notes.

Grabben gillar sex lite väl mycket, men han kan rappa

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.

Now I’m not really a gangster rap guy, and find most of the entries of this list (Wu-tang and its various derivatives) actively painful to listen to. Although BIG shares the same predictable themes in his lyrics, there’s something I actually enjoy about his raping style. This album is also far more musically coherent than its peers and borrows from multiple genres to make actual, you know, songs. Biggest problem with this album is the over-use of “interludes”, usually spoken word samples. This album opens with a couple screaming and swearing at each other, and also features the full audio track to Biggie getting noshed off. I really don’t want to hear any of that ever again.

Ik this bangers

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

Som enhver hvit millennial var mitt første ordentlige møte med hip hop Eminem. Og selv det kom forholdsvis sent; jeg hadde en lang periode hvor jeg eksklusivt hørte på rock/metal. Men etter jeg hadde min sene Eminem-periode, så var spørsmålet: hva nå? Jeg begynte naturligvis med Dr. Dre og NWA grunnet deres kobling til Eminem, men det var ikke de som satte blod på tann. Tupac var et navn jeg var vel så kjent med fra t-skjorter på barneskolen, og veien derifra til Biggie var kort. Idag ser jeg tilbake på perioden da hip hop-hodet mitt stod i full blomst: hjemme alene en påske, griller for meg selv med en pils og Tupac’s greatest hits på stereoen. Things done changed. Tupac forsvant fra spillelistene, men Biggie ble værende. Han klarte å lage noen av hip hopens aller største bangers, hvor han blander østkystens gangsta bravado og party-vennlige samples med østkystens boom bap alvorlighet. Ready to Die er tettpakket med disse sporene til den grad at det er raskere å nevne fillerne på skiva enn det et å ramse opp gullet. Selv skitsa klarer ikke å ødelegge opplevelsen, med unntak av den obligatoriske sex-skiten. Hadde skiva vært sterke om den kutta 3-4 låter og skitsa? Selvfølgelig. Men det syrner ikke opplevelsen nok til at jeg holder igjen — i hvert fall ikke idag.

Jeg kan ikke så mye om Biggie og jeg har vel egentlig bare hørt den sangen han sampler Duran Duran. Men dette er ganske bra saker. Liker samplegamet og viben. Egentlig eneste som trekker ned er lengden og at man ikke kan høre albumet i helhet på høyttaler pga skits med suging og orgasme

Muy bueno, No me gustó tanto los tracks explícitos, pero lo demás 10/10

This is garbage

biggie smalls is the illest

I love this one, but I’ve heard it so many times. Hearing it again yesterday I realized like maybe I need to listen to other stuff now besides this one. It’s good, but I’ll leave it for other people for a while.

This rating does not take into account the Diddy stink of it all.

When will there be a full critical evaluation of the full social ramifications of late 80s-mid 90s gangter rap? Was the music just a symptom of society -- or do the music executives who got rich by greenlighting the artists eventually have to reckon with their effects?

Not my type but its okay

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

4/5 Best Song: Juicy Worst Song: Fuck Me (Interlude) Weirdest Song: Fuck Me (Interlude) Honorable Mention: Big Poppa It's hard to find a rapper with better lyrical flow than Biggie. Combine that with heavy hitting 90s boom-bap, guns, and sex, and you've got Ready to Die. Not perfect but has some of the most memorable hip hop songs of all time.

#10 This album shows its age in many ways, but also is undeniably important to its genre. Biggie is such a masterful story teller, and has such a distinct flow and voice. Big Poppa and Juicy stand out as true classics. The skits are a bit much though, and it is thematically and sonically mostly the same all the way through.

probably one of the most respected rappers, and thus rap album, imo

Side 1: : Flow is pretty untouchable - male machismo untouchable by anyone else. Maybe the heights of the gangster album genre and yet - it kinda feels like a slog. Beats and samples are pretty uninspired and the sex interlude is well...if he hadnt been killed, not sure he'd be in the same category ppl hold him in today? Side 2: Whoa some damn good hits on there....and theres the BJ at the end of the song....

Some pretty silly lyrics in here, it was a decent listen but not one im likely to revisit

I listened to this before but did not remember it being this raw. Really cool concept and the skits really brought it to life. Obviously the raps were great but the album was a few filler tracks long. The last song was too good

4/5 minus cringe skits

I really didn't need several interludes of a fat black man having sex

Rv

Really awesome intro, great world building and lyricism, not my cup of tea but deserves the five stars!

some classics......some not my vibe but overall vvv good, 4 rounded

instant 5 we needed smthn good today love the sugar hill gang intro feat right off the bat just classic

I enjoy the storytelling and his flows. Don't always love the subject matter, and sometimes it feels like smoothness is so prioritized in the vocals that they pass right by me rather than draw me in.

If you look past the violent and somewhat sexist songs, this isn’t the worst. I like his voice at least.

2.5

no me gusto nada

There are so many classics in here for this to be below a 4. The sex interludes and skits are weird and uncomfortable to listen to so I'll knock off a point from being 5/5. 4/5

Just a bit dull. Couldn’t enjoy it despite trying.

an album that truly suffers from size. each song could've been cut by 15-20 seconds and been drastically improved. especially when they repeat the same verse for a minute-thirty.

synth line on Big Poppa for MVP. some tracks i never want to hear again. half-dozen more lines my partner has been quoting at my for the past 18 years. 3.5

what a tedious listen overall for something punctuated by such good hits

NY soundi on lempparia, mutta tätä en ole kuunnellut. Oikein hyvä vaikka bad boy akseli on aina ollut oman maun ulkopuolella.

Vamos hoy con la dosis de rap del reto. Sólo ubico a éste artista de nombre, de cuando el aleatorio puso alguna que otra canción de él y nada más. Me gusta cómo arranca y cómo se mantiene (Me pregunto, también, por qué en Spotify varias de las canciones del disco no están disponibles y tuve que ir a buscarlo a YouTube para escucharlo completo: ¿será por su lenguaje más agresivo? ¿Por los insultos? ¿No se bancan quizás la crudeza, los gritos?). Una sorpresa. Del reto, este es el mejor disco de hip hop hasta ahora que me han sugerido. Muchas gracias y hasta mañana.

This is a seminal NY hip hop record. Biggie has a flow that is untouched by anybody, just so smooth. There's a reason he's considered one of the best ever with such a small amount of output. Plus, this one has hits that transcend generations, Juicy and Big Poppa can be played in any age bracket outside of boomers and you will get the reaction you expect. Only issue with this record, and most 1990s hip hop album is all the skits. I don't think I need those.

A lot of solid rap songs. I recognized more of these tracks than I thought I would having never listened to the album. The instrumentals are all pretty good as well.

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.

Terrific album! Love Biggie! Highly recommend this album!

Another all time favorite. Hadn’t listened in a while but still knew 90% of the words. Classic

No.

Some good classics on here, could've done without the excessive swearing but I guess I'm just old and out of touch

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.

Classic.

Definitely a vibe. Liked this. Reminds me of a better time in the 90s

Another rap album. It's not my thing but at least I can understand what he/they are saying. Same old gangsta rap lyricus about guns, shooting people and fucking bitches gets old.

It had its moments

Some great songs, but nothing that would really excite me. Nothing bad about it either

Easy to see why this was nominated. So tragic

Clásico del ji jo, el rap, los chavos

Damn, starts out hot with some great samples; this feels legit good right off the bat. Track after track of baners. Sad I've missed out on this album for so long. I understand why Biggie is a legend. It just gets better and better. Smooth beats, smart lyrics, catchy hooks, it all feels right. This album is rap perfection.

Eh. Biggie's voice sounds like its struggling to be heard over the repeat-o-matic beats and when he does come through, I'm not sure he has that much to say.. He's an excellent avatar for hip-hop, looks great on a t-shirt, but he never quite grabbed me as an artist.

The storytelling is riveting, the rhymes are tight, the samples add spooky, soulful atmospherics to the harrowing subject matter, the production is solid and the beats are slammin. I’m tempted to deduct half a star for the presence of Puff Daddy — I could have done without his dispensable contributions (“right, right”) even back then — and the detailed sex-act sound effects. Otherwise, this album absolutely sounds like New York in the mid-90s; my eyes widened when Biggie spits the line, “Time to get paid / Blow up like the World Trade,” which of course referred to the bombing the year before this came out. At any rate, it’s a quintessential document of a time past, now that Biggie’s old territory is teeming with white girl influencers and the rent is too damn high.

Live by the sword....

despite the vulgarity it is just raw and vulnerable and slappin

Another album chock full of classic tracks. This album defined 90’s Hip Hop for me

Look up the Thomas the Tank Engine mashups of this, those go a lot harder.

why did porn come on while i was studying japanese

Not really for me, but on a better level than other albums like this that I've heard. Favorite song: big poppa

So smooth and a unique style. Just so filthy. Constantly. Would like to thin he would've evolved if was still with us. I hate the rap album interludes or this would rate higher.

Really cool sound, i need to give it another listen more focused on the lyrics. The only thing that creeps me out were the fellation sounds, like wtf brotha we don’t need tha shit.

Class just class. Juicyyyy. 5/5. The first one.

loved it very much, but theres way too much misogynistic lyrics

This is good but not great. I might need to give it another listen. 🤔 but too long and too many skits.

Really good. One of if not the best rap album so far.

Idk

good beats and flow, skits are butt, too much dick talk, a bit too long

Fundamental to the language of hip hop. The sound and the flows were critical to establish the east coast way. Biggie is a generational talent, unfortunately, a lot of production decisions bring this project down. The skits were dumb and off putting, I did not expect the sucking sounds to go on for as long as they did, made me extremely uncomfortable. The highs are high, though the flow of the album isn't great.

The greatest rap album of all time. Full stop.

Intro - 3/5 Things Done Changed - 3.5/5 Warning - 4/5 One More Chance - 3.5/5 F*** Me (Interlude) - 2/5 Juicy - 4/5 Everyday Struggle - 4.5/5 Me & Me Bitch - 4.5/5 Pig Poppa - 4/5 Respect - 3/5 Friend of Mine - 3/5 Unbelievable - 3/5 Suicidal Thoughts - 3/5

One of the best hip hop albums of all time man.

8.5/10

A good listen at times and would be higher if not for a lot of the uncomfortable misogynistic lyrics. I acknowledge his influence, but I'll probably not be returning to this one any time soon.

1. Suicidal Thoughts 2. One More Chance 3. Unbelievable

Probably the best example of a great but overrated album.

Hmmm

straight men are so gay theyd suck their on dicks if they could two hit wonder

Wow, yesterday MissE, today Notorious... It really takes the fun out of this project. Musically, both are still somewhat tolerable, but I feel deep pity for the people behind them and their extremely limited worldview. Because of that, the lyrics are just repulsive, but I feel so sorry for this guy with his completely messed-up life that I’m still giving it 1.5 stars.

Throw your hands in the air if you miss a true player 😢

Bra inflytelserik rap med de sedvanliga tveksamheterna för genren.

Finns bra inslag, men överlag för töntigt. "Fuck Me (Interlude)" ett lågvattenmärke.

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

Not for me

Not eager to listen. A lot of sexualized content in this album. Had to skip past two songs due to the grotesque nature. I don't mind sex as a topic or part of a song... but oral + gagging? No thanks. I added a few songs to my 'liked' songs, but wouldn't listen to the whole album again.

Amo el hip-hop, este álbum es icónico y me encanta.

The lyrics were problematic (par for the course for 90s rap) but the beats and flow were amazing. It would have been a 4 but only giving it a 3 because of the horrible interludes/skits

idk. i just can't with 1990-205 rap and hip hop

Insane how this album is one of the ones that changed the course of rap and hip hop culture for decades to come. Big Poppa is an all time jam.

own

not much into oldschool rap

3 de 5 Álbum aclamado por su cruda narrativa autobiográfica y la difícil vida en Brooklyn, donde las letras narran historias de violencia, supervivencia y pobreza. Relevante la capacidad de Biggie para cambiar entre un estilo de rap amenazante a otro más relajado y carismático. A destacar: Track 3 - Gimme The Loot Track 6 - Ready to Die Track 10 - Juicy Track 11 - Everyday Struggle Track 16 - Unbelievable

Things Done Changed - 4/5 Gimme the Loot - 4.5/5 Machine Gun Funk - 4/5 Warning - 4/5 Ready to Die - 4/5 One More Chance - 4/5 The What - 4/5 Juicy - 5/5 Everyday Struggle - 4/5 Me & My Bitch - 4/5 Big Poppa - 4.5/5 Respect - 3.5/5 Friend of Mine - 3.5/5 Unbelievable - 4/5 Suicidal Thoughts - 4.5/5 A literal certified hood classic. Biggie is a great storyteller and has great flow, telling his story of his struggles growing up and dealing before he (may or may not have) risen out of the life he was born into. However, some of the skits make you cringe because of how awkward they can be. Do I really need to be third-wheeling this get sucked off? Or listening to him having sex? I'm not a prude but this is really making me turn into one. The one where they noticed red dots on their head was fine, but maybe less pornographic skits would probably do this better. Also Diddy produced this so those two combined together that's an automatic star off. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Juicy, Gimme the Loot, Big Poppa, Suicidal Thoughts

6/10

I forgot how great Biggies flow was. This album was also a reminder of how New York Hip Hop has always set the standard for greatness. Banger after banger this album keeps coming at you with a variety of beats and flows that range from smooth to hardcore. And his voice and bars have a weight to them the way he pounces on the beat. Always love the Method Man feature too. It was such a timely collab as fellow NYC rapper from Wu Tang had just exploded into thr scene. Gimmie the Loot, Ready to Die, Juicy, Big Poppa, Who Shoot Ya anchor this classic. If I had one gripe there’s probably too many skits and you could probably snip a song or 2 but either way it’s still an all timer.

Classical gangsta rap. 5 stars without a blink.

is that a curtis mayfield sample? nice don't mind me, just sitting at my desk in the office listening to biggie smalls rapping about drugs and gangs and violence and murder. i do appreciate this list exposing me to hip hop & rap. not genres i've ever explored on my own, but i can get behind this. i'd rather listen to this than grunge. s/o to sardines getting mentioned by The Notorious B.I.G. that was such a long album. i enjoyed it, but by 3/4 thru i just wanted it to be over.

Biggie raps amazingly, and he is witty, cutting, vivid. The best works are his grim accounts of poverty, crime, despair: clever, bleakly funny, and painful. The skits suck. And so much of this misogynist crap sucked then and sucks now, whether one claims its ironic role play or not.

More potential here than what is actualised. There’s so much sadness and despair layered in the stupid bravado—the emotions are moving and the flow is great, but the music isn’t always up to par.

This was ok. He definitely is a talented rapper/lyricist. Of all of the early 90's hip hop, this may have been the darkest I've heard so far. Too dark for my tastes but it's definitely decent.

8/10 Musica de negro yankee, no falla, buen album, raros algunos intervalos, pero después en punga

By the age of 22, Christopher Wallace had already lived quite the life. By naming his debut Ready to Die, the Brooklyn rapper bluntly encapsulated both his fearless, take-no-prisoners lyrical style and his perpetual sixth sense that death could come for him at any time. While hardly the first to rap about the pleasures and pitfalls of drug dealing, The Notorious B.I.G. elevated the form to a divine art of brutal honesty. “I remember when he was doing the title track, I was a little disturbed,” Easy Mo Bee, who produced several of the album’s standouts, tells Apple Music. “‘You’re saying you’re ready to die? What’s up, Big?’ He told me, ‘I’m going through a lot...I’m tired of being up there hustling, my mom is sick, I have a baby on the way.’ He was going through a lot of p

Everything's awesome except the fucking lyrics (literally).

Song after song about how powerful your gun makes you and how little you value the lives of others…willing to kill people for not looking at you right or for having something you want. I thought the misogyny common in this genre was off putting? The violence worship comes off worse. But don’t worry, this album turns to misogyny about 4 songs in. The music might be interesting, the lyrical styling and phrasing impressive, but the content says nothing to me and is simply bullshit. Looking at his life, perhaps there is a moral here. Plus 1 for the creativity. 2/5

Nope

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

Apparently he was quite the condom filler.

Again, I like this type of hip hop. A classic I guess?

Geen grote fan van 90s hiphop, maar je kan niet om dit album heen, zoals je fysiek niet om Biggie heen kon in een deurpost

Hoge hoge highs, maar mijn god deze plaat is bloated, Miseducation is er niets bij.

Fav- one more chance 4/5

not a big fan of hip-hop, but this was kinda fire

Good album.

Stone cold banger

Playful, introspective heartbreaking a bit lude, some problematic lyrics and themes but overall, I see the vision. I had a good time with it!

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

Another one, didn’t think I would like it… loved it

Didn't float my boat.

Lyrics are absolutely on point here. The best New York rap album for me

biggie was that dude

Surprisingly excellent! I didn't think I'd be into big but I was mesmerised!

V good

- he does not seem like a very nice person :( - I didn’t vibe with this very much - probably won’t listen through again

Another day, another simulated sex interlude. Highlights: "Gimme the Loot", "Juicy", "Everyday Struggle"

Great album that doesn’t need the skits. Listening to a skit of biggie having sex or what I can only imagine is him going down on a woman is not necessary and uncomfortable. I would give it five stars without the skits but they just made me too uncomfortable.

It's well known that this was the only album the artist released during his life, as he was killed just days before releasing his second effort. Unfortunately, it's not a very enjoyable rap album. While his flows are strong, and he has obvious storytelling abilities, he just stays in one mode for the bulk of the album. Even more damningly, that mode is "brag about shooting people and committing violent crimes", which does not make for an enjoyable listen. While I understand(or think I understand as much as I can, being a white teenager from suburban Florida) where it all comes from, I just don't want to hear it. That, ultimately, ruins the album for me, alongside the tedious length. It just gets boring after a while, and it wasn't great to begin with, so it gets a 2.

It was alright, this record can really drag though

Two stars, all on the back of a single aong. The rest had nothing to offer me.

очень плотно, хорошо звучит, достаточно хитов и в принципе классика хорошие скиты

7/10

No.164 Classic album. One of the greatest hip hop albums ever. The storytelling, production, rapping are so point it's crazy.

4/10 Musically, this album could push towards a 7 or 8, but the rancid nature of some of the lyrics really leaves a sour taste

Classy hip Hop. Wie ein Tagebuch eines Gangsters in Musikform. Witzige Songs die ernstere Themen unterbrechen 10/10

Honestly expected this to be better. So much unnecessary skits filling in space

Me recontra gusto, solamente algunas canciones me paracueron raras

I like some Biggie, but not all Biggie. This album is really hit and miss for me. Not to mention that lyrically, it's not aged super well. It's pretty misogynistic and the sexualized content is pretty gross. Plus, I really don't like skits, and I really don't like how many skits are on this album. I get that skits are done to make an album feel like an audio "movie" or act as a palette cleanser between songs. They give people a glimpse of the rapper's life and environment outside of lyrics and beats. Sort of a chance to show their personality and sense of humor. So I can get why skits exist but I also just don't like them. 2.5 rounded down

I'm rap curious, I'd say, at best. I don't think I am an authority on rap. I like what I like. This record feels lazy to me but maybe that's the point, I don't know. Anyway, I'm learning to save my 1's for Kid Rock tier garbage. BIG isn't on that tier but I just simply don't care for it, don't find it compelling.

This was fun but too long, I also docked a star for the intro. I enjoyed the song with Method Man. That was my first time hearing that one and it’s a bop.

Фигня

Oh sh*t, here we go again…. Violence, misogyny, excessive vulgarity once again ruins an otherwise great album. Just 3 days ago, I had to listen to NWA’s Straight Outta Compton. I loved it, except for everything listed above. Same thing here. Only this time, I won’t put myself through it all the way through. I liked NWA enough to suffer, but not Biggie, sorry. I read the reviews and can safely say I’m surprised at how well this was received and lauded for the lyrical content. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by Bob Dylan and other great songwriters. I don’t get it. 2 stars.

Good storytelling, solid flow, great instrumentals, mixed messaging (gangster rap is always hit and miss with me), TERRIBLE skits. Likes: Gimme the Loot; Machine Gun Funk; Juicy; Big Poppa; Suicidal Thoughts

Ok rap album. Second half is better than first. Too many skits. Beats ok a bit funky. Talented rapper, doesn’t have much to say.

Я не любитель хип хопа, но изредка может понравиться. Этот альбом в целом понравился, но песен многовато на один альбом, под конец устал. Gimme the loot, Big poppa и Machine gun funk понравились больше всего. Музыка иногда слишком зациклена и минималистична, редко впечатляет. Читка хорошая, некоторые рифмы классные.

5/10 - Biggie is one hip-hops greatest talents. His voice is iconic, his flow is effortless and smooth, his ability to change his flow is unmatched. His sampling is excellent. His rhyming and his ability to play off words is genius. He would be on my personal Mt. Rushmore of rappers based off of ability alone. That being said, this album has not aged well. The skits detract from the album, its run time is too long, and the mysoginy/homophobia/violence doesn’t further a story or morale (think GKMC). There are some hits here, but too much of the album is unpalatable. I would save a handful of songs and not come back.

There are some undeniable classics and great songs on here, but there are also some terrible bars and skits. If you get rid of a few songs and the moaning interlude, it would be a much better album. 7/10

The hip hop is not know from me, but the album sound great

Ready to Die surprised me in how much i liked it. The highlights for me were “Ready to Die,” “One More Chance,” and “Suicidal Thoughts,” all hitting in completely different ways but sticking hard. I was honestly more drawn to the vibe and production than anything else, but the storytelling still adds that extra layer without getting in the way. Biggie himself just sounds effortlessly cool and confident the whole time, which carries the album a lot. The darker moments hit hard, especially toward the end, and the whole thing feels cohesive rather than just a playlist of tracks. Not sure yet if I’ll keep running it front to back, but there’s definitely a lot here that’ll stay in rotation.

Some head nodding here. Some head shaking at some of the lyrics. Poor women. They've had it so bad in hip hop. It's hard to just shake it off and carry on nodding my head.

Great album, maybe listened to it through once before and is just good

classic.

respeto, sí, pero eres un hortera meter esos interludios porno

Another gangsta album from Biggy

Terrible

I haven’t listened to a full Biggie Album before, so this was pretty cool!

Holy shit

Big Incredible Guy

One of the all time greats and gone too soon, we love you Big

Stone cold flow and one of the most recognizable voices with rap. Biggie had charisma for days and it really carried the songs to the next level. The amount of iconic one-liners on this album is ridiculous and it's combined with some of the craziest 90s production. Whether he is doing boastful bangers or heart breaking emotional songs (Suicidal Thoughts is just... Wow) he sounds incredible. It's one of the best rap albums from a vocal standpoint, and the lyrical content is deep and very clever. There is some minor duds in the form of Me & My Bitch and Friend of Mine, but most of the album is incredible.

I don't think I'm equipped to rate this or give input on it. It's a world that I can't even imagine myself in. It's hard to know how much of an artist's work is "genuinely the truth" about themselves and their feelings, and how much is just a show being put on, but finding out that Biggie died so young and that an album with so much horribly negative emotion in it made the whole thing one of the most distressing listens of my life. It's got a lot of incredible sounds and incredible songwriting and lines in it, though. And I enjoyed my time with it quite a lot. But man. Overall, great listen, lots of stupid silly stuff mixed in with the serious depressing shit, tons of amazing lines. Great.

a classic tbh

No es mi onda

It has a lot of personality. I already knew some of the songs, but none of them made me want to save them to listen to later. Personally, I didn’t like it that much. 4/10.

Violently sexy

storyteller asf

3 - good album but a bit too long

Some good tracks, but a lot of filler. Would be better for being half the length. And lyrically, not my cup of tea at all.

It’s not for me but I do quite like his voice/rhythm… some of it is great and some of it is unlistenable

Good enough album, too long maybe? Two stars.

Heavy hip hop

I hate rap skits so much. Like it becomes impossible for me to tell if the album is actually good or not. Overall I did think this was really thematically and musically repetitive.

With albums like this, I really appreciate that English isn't my first language, because I can simply turn off my brain's ability to understand the lyrics. If I understood the lyrics, I wouldn't be able to listen to it. I love it musically, but I hate it lyrically.

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

Classic, conceptual but has so many tracks that stand on their own.

If the album was produced without all the skits of him having sex it would've been an easy 5

As Edna Krabappel would say: "She's faking it."

Iconic tracks

so glad I did the steep dive. I’ve never listened to this album full because it’s so long I didn’t and I didn’t think I’d like it, but biggie‘s flow is unparallel and some of the lyrics make you flat out laugh. It’s probably still a bit too long, but too many skits in between songs, but I can understand the reverence for it now.

Oh man I've not listened to this in decades. I had forgotten about the skits. Then I remembered why I was annoyed at 90's hop hop... The skits are annoying to skip past on tapes. I don't know if this will hold up to modern listeners. "The Kids" might not like the casual misogyny and violence. I know we didn't think much of it at the time. Most of us never took it to heart. Probably better we have moved on from it, even though it's still alive and well in groups of men. For me the album still holds up, both from a historical perspective and just great rhymes and flow. Biggie used words well, I could do with less Puffy. He was annoying then and now.... I'm not trusting him with anything more than a plate of cookies. Even that he might try and fuck. Yeah this is a solid album, bit long at times, could use less fucking and blowjob noises, but still shows his talents well and the mix is good.

Gross and forgettable.

Heard many of the songs but never listened front to back until now. Just an incredibly cohesive sound...the BOOM BAP beats, the punchy, classic Biggie flows...a gem through and through.

I agree to a lot of the existing reviews I read. This album didn’t age well and while I can still acknowledge Biggies legacy I found the lyrics very disturbing. Also in 2026 I can’t ignore his close relationship to Diddy which leaves at least a weird feeling. I stick to my rap queens of this time Lil Kim, Queen Latifah, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott….

One of the Biggest rap albums of all time, for a variety of reasons. I really enjoy Biggie's style, technique, and cadence. He brings a lot of personality just through his delivery, which works to enhance the songs as a whole. As someone who doesn't listen to a lot of rap, I can still recognize and appreciate how much he stands out (in a good way). I also liked a lot of the musical compositions, even if they were a bit repetitive. They still did a good job making the raps feel at home to each song. Of course, it's not all good. The lyrical content gets old fast. The song about his sexual prowess going into a skit that's basically just a sex scene wasn't a great listen. It feels like posturing with how much he had to emphasize it, though the concept's not exactly unique to this album (or artist, or genre). It's also a very long album, going a few minutes past an hour. I can't point out any particular songs as bad, but the hits do stand out as the tracks to hear from the whole runtime. There's a lot to appreciate here, and I enjoyed this one for the most part. But there are plenty of things to take issue with. In all, I thought it was a good listen and worthy of the list. Overall: 3.8/5

The flow on this album, especially it's first half, is ridiculous creative and fun. Layered on top of some brilliant spaced out beats, this album is a stunner. Slightly let down by the odd track and shite skits, but a stone cold classic nontheless.

Not my favorite music but I am also not exactly the clientele

Some of the tracks are OK, but overall not something I would listen to again.

There’s a lot here that passes me by. And then there are a few tracks like Juicy, which are fantastic. Overall, it feels so bloated at 76 minutes long though.

Some great songs, like Big Poppa. But man the skits and interludes ruin it

I was so excited to dig into this but its aged pretty badly. Some high points but can't give it more than 3/5

the hip-hop music has saved me from the evil evil trenches of indie pop. this is biggie's first album, the title unfortunately leading up to biggie's death shortly after this album released. wikipedia describes it in a way similar to what i can, the rhymes are very easy to digest and understand, but don't be fooled by its straightforwardness. this is someone who clearly knows what they're doing when it comes to rap music. one doesn't need a lyric insert inside the cd, it's all crystal clear from the getgo. biggie makes hip-hop sound effortless to create and produce, and it's a must-listen for all sorts of musicheads.

The album has some of the best hip-hop music and Biggie's flow and rapping is great, but the content gets a bit much. Also, the skits are horrible.

Listening session: march 30th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: listened to a few songs before Thoughts: I was contemplating whether to give this 4 or 5 stars mostly because of the skits. So I’ll rate this without considering the skits, which makes this album an undeniable 5 stars because biggies flow is unmatched and I’m a sucker for 90s east-coast hiphop Favourite tracks: Things Done Changed, Everyday Struggle & Big Poppa

There's a violent, desperate edge to this album that I love. It's catchy, vibey, a little out there with some of the samples, but it's so good. What a crazy debut.

Too young too die

Listens: Many, many, many Standout Tracks: Gimme The Loot, Warning, The What, Suicidal Thoughts Man, I fucking love this album so much. Awesome beats, insane lyrics, and hilarious skits. This completes my trifecta of 90's rap/hip-hop albums: Wu Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers), Nas's Illmatic, and Notorious BIG's Ready To Die. The pinnacle of gangsta rap. Top marks!

Ok

not my style but i still like it

Tremenda placa...

Nn

Overrated

I stand by my stance that east coast 90's hip-hop is by and far better than west coast.

Good album. A bit long. Very 90's lyric style.

# Album Name: Ready to Die # Artist: Notorious BIG # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Well he truly lived up to the title of his debut album. Overall way too long. But theres actually several good songs on here. Not usually a fan of rap but this was of good quality. As usual with this genre, the skits and length of the albums detract from the quality. # Top Tunes: Gimme the loot / One more chance / Big P / Respect # Would I listen to it again? Parts of it

enjoyed this one! shockingly chill vibes for a rap album. Could do without the interludes lol

Disappointed quite a few songs missing from the album on Spotify. One of the rap classics, what else is there to say. Fave track: Big Poppa