Reviews (page 4 of 14)
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
Went into this one with full intention to give it a 5 and write a long review. But to my surprise, that’s not where I land with his album. It’s undeniably a hip hop classic, but it’s a bit too long and the skits are truly awful. However, I can confidently say that Biggie at his best is just about as good as it gets, on tracks like Juicy, Big Poppa and Who Shot Ya? 4.5/5
some of these songs are probably in the top 10 of songs you’d never wanna accidentally play out loud in public
Favorite Track: Big Poppa
It’s angry and raw but stylistically unimpressive
Too much baby oil, sex skits suck, none of this can stop fat man
pretty good stuff, awesome to dance to and i can see why it’s so iconic
Not a big rap fan but really like this
OG!
Why?
Obvious hip hop classic
The bomb
This was great. I’d never listened to the full thing. I criticized the swearing in Wu Tang’s album and there’s plenty here but there’s also a story, great sampling and beats. Stellar rap album.
My usual gangsta rap review: love the beats and flow but can't get past the language and violence, which I know is not meant for me.
ufff, nunca lo había escuchado de un tirón, que buenos beats y la capacidad de rimar de biggie 10/10
Nope
ew
Big's flow was great, but the content of the lyrics and those skits knocked this back a few pegs for me.
Containing some of the best rap tracks of all time, this is a document of Biggie's talents despite the bloat and bigotry. There is a lot of misogyny and homophobia on here, and it is more direct and in your face than the sexism that you would find in most dated classic rock songs. Biggie wants to use up every second available on the CD, so he includes forgettable filler like 'Friend Of Mine' and 'Unbelievable' and unerotic skits of him having sex. No one needed to hear that! When this album is good, it is impeccable. Biggie had an unreal flow and a knack for storytelling. 'Juicy' is a perfect party song about Biggie's rise to the top and the boastful sexual lyrics are the most tolerable on 'Big Poppa' due to the sensual sampling. We get an insight into Biggie's psyche on the dark 'Suicidal Thoughts'. Listening to this made me wonder what music Biggie would put once he was able to lessen the bravado and mature a little if his life wasn't tragically cut so short.
I have mixed feelings about this. I was massively into hip-hop in the early 90s but I started to get turned off around the time that this came out as I felt the production was starting to sound too polished and this epitomises that. Same with the aesthetic of Bad Boy, I liked my hip-hop darker and grittier, not videos of people having mansion parties and pouring Cristal into swimming pools Listening back now, musically it's decent, especially the funkier stuff and there's some great samples. But for the most part, lyrically it doesn't resonate with me and some of it is just off putting. US hip-hop of this ilk has always had a misogyny problem and there's large parts of this where it's the focus. If i'd been into this at the time, I'd probably have overlooked it, as I have in some hip-hop of the time that I do like, but it's not something that Im comfortable with retrospectively, even if I understand my own hypocrisy here. Whilst Biggie's flow is excellent, especially for the time, I'm not a huge fan of his voice, if find it becomes a little monotonous over the course of what is obviously, like most hip hop of the time, an album that's about 20-30 minutes too long. Where I like him best is where the bravado drops a little and the one two of _Juicy_ and _Everyday Struggle_ are probably the highlights because of that.
45# B I G INDA HOUSE Great album
I don’t think I had listened to this all the way through before!! What a rollercoaster of emotions. The skit where she fell off the bed made me LOL. I think my favorite line was “hold your horses I’m about to show you who the king of intercourse is”
Vanvittigt produceret - ikonisk - fortjener 5 jern.
I don’t love it, I don’t like how rappers talk about women Fav song: everyday struggle
had a lot of fun listening to this - great album. super awesome story telling. loving the reggae energy in some of the tracks.
One of the iconic hip-hop albums of the 90’s with a couple of classics on it. I enjoyed listening to this again
It's always a beautiful tonic to hear hip hop when I've been inundated with back to back crusty 70's white guy music.
Insane lyricism and flow but not entirely for me
What a title for three years before he was killed. It’s solid 90s themes; I love Biggie’s rhyme structure. Yet this one sticks around longer than I need it to.
8 / 10
The beats are ok on this, pretty much what I'd expect - they roll along nicely. But do I really need to know that he had the "cleanest, meanest penis"? It's pretty laughable that the only thing I heard that they censored was where he said that he'd kill a pregnant woman and they censor the word "pregnant". Woah, step too far there boys. Wouldn't want to be too unpleasant. Also, who ever told Diddy that he could rap, he's so bad. When Method Man comes along, he's a cut above. Even if it still is gun loving nonsense. Skits are, as always, painfully embarrassing. And it's so long. Oo-er missus.
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.
It's not my jam, but I can respect the flow. It's easy to listen to this and just hear the drugs and guns and profanity, but there's more to the story; it's a shame a promising career ended the way it did.
FINALLY! Some hip hop enters the mix! I was starting to think whoever crafted this list just didn't like hip hop. About time, AND it's a banger. Yep, listened to this one countless times, and it's a certified classic. Easy 5 stars.
It was 2020, middle of Covid lockdown, expecting my first child and I was listening to a Biggy playlist on repeat. Summer heatwaves, dope beats and “and if you don’t know, now you know…” I always used to firmly be of the opinion that west coast hip hop was king. Dre, Snoop, Tupac. But that summer something changed. It was no longer West coast is better than East coast. Or vice versa. They complement each other. The gritty Brooklyn beats and rhymes. This is probably Biggy’s best album. It’s gritty, raw and tells the story of someone who’s lived the streets. This is easily five stars. That’s it. Nothing else will convince me otherwise. Standout tracks - Ready to Die & Juicy
Big Poppa får det hevet op på 4. Det er jo ikke WestCoast.
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 classic! No notes 4/5- GEMV (16.03.2026)
Pienso que es uno de los mejores albums en la historia del Hip Hop, sin duda marco un antes y un después. Es excelente.
just not my style
The hits Juicy and Big Poppa are the obvious standouts. I can always do without the skits/interludes in between.
I don't know why I never got into Biggie Smalls growing up; this is great.
the misogyny really got to me. this lyrically doesn’t age well. beats and samples are cool, but i would not revisit this as a whole album.
The OG. What else do I need to say?
Good flow and beats, but the lyrics make me cringe. The misogyny and sex is very hard to listen to.
Incroyable surprise. J'ai adoré la vibe de l'album, avec un début très old school et des morceaux beaucoup plus "rappés" qui se suivent avec une facette plus fragile de Biggie, et des prods qui m'ont beaucoup plus marqué comme sur Juicy ou Everyday Struggle. Vraiment j'ai beaucoup aimé l'album et la proposition au global, je trouve que c'est hyper parlant, très efficace, très happant, et personnellement ça m'as eu
From the getgo the album grips you, all before a song even starts. Harrowing intro showcasing Biggie's life up until the point of the album. The story telling combined with flow combined with the rhyming ability, plus a sincerety and honesty only Tupac can match, equals one of the greatest albums ever. So good, I can easily overlook some flaws, mostly being the awkward to listen to interludes of Biggie having sex or getting his dick sucked. And a few songs seeming a little too long. But Biggie is too talented to have an album tainted in any way to those nitpicks. The ending of "Suicidal Thoughts" still remains one of raps most depressing and disturbing songs. Masterpiece
All timer non stop bangers with great skits
Grim but greatly enjoyable
A lot of folks revere him, a lot hate him. I'm not interested.
10/10
Découverte. Un gros album avec beaucoup de classiques. Jérôme beaucoup l'esthétique même si je n'ai pas compris tous les textes. Des rythmes et rimes qui s'accrochent. Solide et s'écoute bien
Classic (à lire avec un accent anglais). Top album avec des interludes un peu olé olé. Quelques longueurs malgré tout. Il aurait mangé un 3,5, mais vu que c’est que des notes entières ce sera un 3… Sorry Biggy.
This one is a classic gangsta vibes. From suicidal thoughts to Big Poppa, pretty much sums up Biggie's life.
Fun memory: I come from a majority African-American town in the Southeast. When I was a senior in high school (94-95), there was a small crew of black girls who hung around near my friend's locker. I, a tall, lanky theater kid in thrift store clothes, would show up every day to tell them "I love it when you call me Big Poppa" and do a stupid little dance. And every day they'd squeal, "That white boy crazy!" and laugh their asses off. I think they were laughing with me. Either way, we were all entertained. Notorious B.I.G. was the best rapper of the MTV-friendly gangster genre of the 90s. His delivery was so smooth, and his appearance and authentic rags-to-riches background kept him relatable, despite the champagne-and-speedboat image in his music videos. I don't know, though. The older I get, the less I can tolerate the "bitches and hoes" and faux gangster gunplay lyrics in a lot of the rap from this era. It's easy to dismiss Christopher Wallace's murder as a live by the sword tale, but I still think it was tragic to have this incredibly talented artist cut down in his prime. His demise sours the entire enterprise. I had always thought of Biggie Smalls as an excellent rapper, even if his music didn't appeal to me beyond his best tracks, especially "Juicy," which is his masterpiece and must be one of the top 20 or so rap tracks of all time. This album was a bit of a chore for me because, like so many other albums from this era, it is far too long and contains too much filler. However, I noticed one thing this time through that I had never thought of before. At this time, the East Coast, West Coast rap beef, manufactured or not, was in full swing. But Ready to Die is perhaps the most perfect example of a successful blending of the boom-bap of the East with the Funkadelic-inspired G-Funk of the West. Listening closely, I was actually startled by how good the production on this record was. We think of Sean Combs as a monster now, but I always thought he was annoying. His "Yeah," "Haaaa" background vocals on many of these tracks are cringy at best, but the quality of the music he either commissioned or produced on this album is impressive. The DJ Premiere (a personal favorite) collab "Unbelievable" deserves its title and really shows off Biggie's considerable street-level rhyming skills. I would have loved to hear a full album of him doing the One MC/One DJ thing of the late 80s and early 90s. What if Notorious B.I.G. went the way of fellow New Yorkers like Gangstarr, Nas, and the Wu-Tang Clan? I just got chills thinking about how great that could have been. As it stands, though, I'm just not into this album as a whole. Even though there are several standout five-star tracks here, this album is a three-star for me.
2.8 Wow, Raekwon and then Biggy straight after. Actually made this a bit refreshing, whereas Raekwon scored very lowly, the difference between these two in clear. Again, same backstory applies, used to have to listen to this whilst getting driven to school every day by my brother's mate, so I'm familiar with it, but didn't like it then and still not a big fan of it now. However, in comparison to a lot of other 90s gangsta rap, like Raekwon yesterday, the beats are actually pretty good in places, the rapping style good, but what let's this down is the bombastical, extremely mysognistic nature of it. I feel like that was missing from the rare few in the genre I like, such as Illmatic. But here it just grates so often throughout. Also, what the fuck is Fuck Me being included for, grow up. Embarrassing that an adult put that on their album, it's massive "I'm 16 and I've had sex" energy. Instant 0.5 points deduction from being forced to listen to that. Anyway, can appreciate it more than I did when I was younger, but moreso because I've now heard just how much worse it could be.
Not too sure.
I can appreciate aspects of the music here, but the misogynistic content ultimately meant I couldn't finish the album.
Det er bare fed mand
*91 Rapper som en AA12 i MW2 med artikulation så klar en engelsklærer ville være stolt.
Et all time favorite hip hop album - What's not to like.
4.2. Et af de helt store. Simpelthen bare godt.
Banger (på nær interlude)
A couple great songs embedded in an awful album.
Hadn’t listened to it ever, P diddy on the tracks made me cringe, gangsta lyrics…Juicy was the only banger on effort
Damn good album. Biggie's lyrics and flow are incredible. "Mean and My Bitch" is a little... crude, but the sentiment is nice. Not a five because two different interludes of sex noises are too much for me.
Plus 1 star for Good Times sample
Listened Before? Y Yep. He was good. Probably one of the best of all time. If there is a such thing as a rap prodigy, it was Biggie. Amazing album from an amazing rapper who was extremely polished for his age at the time. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Big Poppa
I really enjoyed listening through this album. Biggie is a great storyteller, with lyrics that paint a picture of his childhood, his struggles, and his life now. The samples and beats in this album feel timeless. I could do without the sexual sound interludes, but I'm blaming that on a product of the times. Overall, very solid
I do not like gangster rap.
Damn good grooves, gross at times. I get why it is like it is, but come on...
"Used to lick the clits a lot, but licking clits had to stop cause y'all don't know how to act when the tongue go down below". What a strange way to say you don't know how to get a woman off.
I rated it a 3 for nostalgic purposes, Biggie's flow, and I understand it's cultural significance, but it hasn't aged well and the skits are too much now that I'm a lot older and shock value is less appreciated in my music. Favorite song is "Gimme the Loot".
Gangsta' rap is not a genre I have any interest in. Not a fan of the non-stop cursing (it should be seasoning, not the main dish), slurs, misogyny, excessive violence, braggadocios machismo ('affectation' is a word that comes to mind). I appreciate a few of these tracks,"Everyday Struggle" and "Things Done Changed" for example, but not enough to listen to them for enjoyment. This just isn't for me and that's ok.
A couple bangers but were the interludes necessary
If there was less sex this would be a 10.
There's some good stuff here, but so much of it has aged badly. The skits and diddy makes it harder to enjoy.
I never listened much to Biggie in my younger days - probably a bit early for my time - but it's clear why he's considered one of the greatest ever. The flow is infectious, and there are some great beats here. It got a bit long, and I could do without the skits, but a good listen.
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.
Listen to this album in your work hours is like a challenge because you have to keep a straight face when you hear all that moaning while you edit your excel sheets... Besides that, pretty good riming!
Biggie was definitely better than Tupac, but neither were particuarly to my taste
Amazing album, and he was gone too soon. Even with the length of the album, I was hooked all the way through. Five stars
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*!
To hard for me, but groove is great
It's great of course. Just not an album I see myself returning to the same way I do other classic rap albums.
Yeah no. Its interesting, but... not of this time. Intro starts with a birth, then an argument, then a train robbery? What?
Loved it when it first came out. Still good, but it’s lost some luster for me.
я реди
Pretty hard to find faults in this one Biggie’s delivery is just so goddamn good; Big Poppa and Juicy are classics that I’ve heard a plenty of times but never listened to closely, and man they sound great. Lyrics are smooth, funny, and deeply personal at times. I think he makes excellent use of samples as well. If I had to find one problem I had with it, it’s just that it’s a little bloated. There’s a couple tracks that don’t really do much other than lengthen the runtime. This would probably be a 9/10, but 5 stars doesn’t feel quite right. Comfortable 4.
big poppa is a great song very intense to listen to but i can appreciate it
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.
Another long album of my least favorite music, yayyyyy. This album was trying to tell a story I think, but there wasn't much to it. The interlude made me feel uncomfortable and I just wanted this album to be over as fast as possible. No matter how much this generator makes me listen to this genre, I will never like it. Every time the music dropped and there was some kind of talking it just made me want to stop listening more and more.
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...
Great classic album.
Prime
4.5/5
Great album, unfortunately, I can hear the Diddy-fluence
This one is tough because I feel it has a lot of ups and downs. Overall I could see myself listening to some of the tracks again and coming back to this project.
1. Intro: Okay wow, this is cool, this is so interesting, i kind of dig it. 2. Really catchy, but once again, maybe not really my thing. The first album if have to read the lyrics along with listening to the song. The lyrics are interesting. 3. UGGGH IM SORRYYYY, it started off good but i get bored easily SUE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. All the songs just sound the same I DONT KNOWWWWWWWWW. Gangsta rap just isn't my thing either. 4. Just not a very discernible melody I KNOWWWWW THAT'S THE GENRE IM NOT SAYING IT'S WRONG, it really just doesn't reach me. 5. Yeah every single song sounds exactly the same just with different lyrics. Sorry. Gets a 2 for the cool intro.
Not my usual. Fuckin amzing
It’s Biggy, it’s 5 stars. Stop reading this and listen to the album.
Classic 90s gangsta rap album from Biggie. He was great and gone too soon. Highlights: "Juicy" and "Big Poppa"
I don’t like hip hop that much, but this was a very well done album. The only complaint I have is that I think there are too many skits. Just less of them would be nice.
Good rap, although i prefer the west coast stuff. Gets better to the end. 4.3 stars
So does it biggie’s rapping flow? Yes. Is this tough to listen to also yes. Some of the over top sec stuff is just juvenile and misogynistic. I’d call this just ok. I like some hip hop but this isn’t really it for me. “Big poppa” is my fave.
Ghetto rhymes. Live for the Funk? Hardly. Simple noise for simple minds. No thanks.
Yuck! Cannot tolerate the lyrics
Incredible record, immaculate vibes. Could do with a little less fellatio but hey, who am I to complain.
Hadn't ever listened to this, and was looking forward to it. Started strong, great beats with a lot of musical variety. But even though some of the strongest tracks ("Respect", for me) are near the end, the repetition of lyrical themes got tiring. And damn, enough with these skit interludes which are also pretty repetitive. It's an album I'd enjoy more if I gave it less attention, if it were background, because the grooves and the beats and the musical production here is great, but listening close there's just a lot of dated detail here that ruins it for me, so it's a disappointed 7/10, rounding down.
Favorite rap album.
It is rap.
Incredible, but the last third is underwhelming for me.
Escuche solo algunos, me falta el disco completo
No me gustó tanto, dos o tres canciones si. Hay algunos temas que no podría volver a escuchar, no me gusta no me llama, no me atrae su forma de rapear. No me gusta este tipo de hip hop. Mucha voz tiene y no me gusta. Me gustan otras canciones de el, no de este álbum en si, pero entiendo que es escencial y el más popular o "el más" del hip hop. Se que tiene algunas canciones producidas por p Diddy y que envejeció mal por eso obviamente. Aparte no me gusta como rapea y las letras, todo es tiros, madafacker etc. No es el hip hop que escucharía, como ya dije rescato 3 temas como muuuucho.
Why do all these 90s hip hop albums need a terrible, cringe-inducing interlude about fucking? Could be a great album without that.
Pretty good! Above average for a rap album for me. The singles stood out on this listen, with none of the deep cuts really getting me all that excited.
So much blatant misogyny in this album- the Puff Daddy connection makes increasingly more sense as I listened. Unfortunately this album is a fantastic, all the songs are absolute bops. I’ll take one star off for hating and abusing women? I don’t feel good about this, lol
Some catchy tunes, and he’s a really talented rapper. But I just couldn’t get past all the terrible skits and misogyny.
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.
Natuurlijk ben ik mij bewust dat dit album op vele must-hear lijstjes staat. Maar tot nu toe had ik nooit aan die oproepen gehoor gegeven. Ik kende twee hits en dat was het. De 1001 krijgt het dan toch voor elkaar. En daar ben ik nu wel blij mee. Het album ligt heel makkelijk in het gehoor (op wat seconden na, die het gekreun op de gemiddelde rap-plaat nog eens overtoepen). Het album gaat veel verder dan de catchy pop-klanken van de mij bekende hits. Het toont een sterke en vrij brede rapper. De eventuele bruggen tussen oost en west en de trieste geschiedenis laat ik even aan het internet. Mij valt vooral de brug tussen oud en (toen) nieuw op. Het album staat met één voet in de basale, maar flowende decenniumwisseling '80's - '90's en met één voet al in de sterk geproduceerde mid-'90's. Dat klinkt alsof het nu hopeloos ouderwets is. Maar zelfs met deze handtekeningen, luistert het nu ook nog prima weg. De samenwerkingen helpen het album. En dan heb ik het niet over het, blijkbaar door Puff zelf erin geforceerde, losstaande Puff gedoe. Dat is vooral zoals de nutteloze shots van Trump in menig film. Maar bijvoorbeeld een Method Man geeft toch even een break. Nou ja, meneer pakt nogal het podium zelfs. Ik moest ook even het nummer terugluisteren hoe hij er nu inviel :D. Eigenlijk een 5 sterrenalbum. Maar die aangehaalde paar seconden verdienen flinke minpunten.
Volgens mijn Brabantse luistermaat is alle hiphop van voor dit album niet aan hem besteed. Bij mij is het meer andersom: ik vind oudere hiphop nog wel ok vaak, maar al die nieuwe dingen boeien me niet. Ik weet niet precies uit welke periode al die gangstarap komt, maar ik heb me al vaker uitgelaten over de kinderachtigheid van de teksten (hoe goed de binnenrijm misschien ook is) en dit album is uiteraard geen uitzondering. Na een minuut vliegen de krachttermen al om je oren, samen met de pistoolschoten en later zelfs nog fellatiogeluiden. Maar goed, om wat positiefs te zeggen, er zit wel een lekkere funky flow in en wat toffe samples. Ik moet gewoon niet naar de teksten luisteren, zoals normaal, en dan glijdt het album vrij moeiteloos een uur lang op de achtergrond voorbij. En kan ik hier nog best een 3 voor geven.
Every song sounds the same. Good flow, production and beats, but god the lyrics are horrible to listen to. This whole album is a relic of its time, and I don’t think it translates well 30 years later, unless it gives a sense of nostalgia to the listener. Really just wanted it to be over after about 20 minutes. 2/5
Not bad, some choice songs...
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
A pesar de no tener todas las canciones disponibles en Spotify, me parece un gran acierto el acompañamiento de dialogos y efectos de sonido, aunque por si solo sea un album facil de disfrutar. Mención especial al dato de que es su album debut (wow) y a que salió una semana antes de nacer yo.
I really respect his delivery and a lot of the beats but ultimately it’s not for me.
Will always find it hard to get into these 90s rap albums, but the lyrics to this were undeniably great. I was hooked on the stories. 3.7.
I like this one. Going to give it a 4.
Five stars for artistic merit, minus four stars for Diddy.
Great Hip-Hop record, beats are dusty and chopped lovely. Biggies performance great on basically every track and lyrically on point. A couple things i couldn’t get through tho, the constant sex audio, the sucking dick part on the end of Respect lowkey ruins the song for me. Diddy being shoved into this album wherever he can is both so annoying and creepy. I woulda loved if they closed the album on Suicidal Thoughts, great song
Not my thing
Jeugdherinneringen, maar niet mijn ding
Labai gerai varo, bet tie intarpai žr awkward lol
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.
Great rhymes and flow I guess, but the skits and the sexism soured this for me.
its giving hamilton - IT INSPIRED HAMILTON I WAS RIGHT
that interlude was...quite interesting... But I lowkey kinda vibed to this album (not sure why is everything is blocked from listening to though) So far, juicy is my favourite, but that might just be because there's a direct reference to it in Hamilton. Overall, I don't think this album was for me. I liked some of the songs and the beats were kind of a vibe, but it's probably something I wouldn't listen to again
Close to a 3 but some of the interlude-ish bits dropped it
Ok got a bit samey
There are three topics that every song is about: fuckin bitches, shootin bitches, and suicide. Some of the songs include all three. The beginning I was enjoying it, about half way through I was tired of it and wanted it to be over. 5/10
Was the sex interlude really necessary?
Quite a few songs unavailable on Spotify. But some big bangers, but quite a few duds too.
Nostalgic. Brings me back to my childhood.
the lyrics and the sex cmon
A classic. Reminds me of watching the movie with grade school friends.
Not my style
Bra sammansatt Album Otrolig rap vibe Bästalåt: big poppa, respekt Måste lyssning
The thing about this project is that you’ll be going through the worst phase of your life and you’ll still have to listen to shit like this. (I’m kind of joking, I know this is optional and self-imposed torture.)
the unintentional foreshadowing is CRAZYYY
really fun, will listen to again
Grisete type. Men hallo, han var jo 22 på tidspunktet, og selverklært storkar.
4.1
One of the best 90s east hip-hop album. The title is a bit prophetic though lol.
I like the flow on this album. The beats are undoubtedly catchy, but I just felt lyrically it was a bit lacking. There are just some lines that really didn't age well. I could look past that, perhaps, but then we get into the skits. I just do NOT like the skits in any of these old school rap albums. I still think there were good aspects to this album. It's just not one I can picture myself ever coming back to.
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.
One of the albums where you expect it to be better than it is. BIG is one of the GOAT's and there are bare good songs on the album but the skits are weird and all the songs you expect to be the best (like big poppa, juicy, suicidal thoughts etc) actually are just the highlights of the album. Probably no other songs in the album that will be added to the playlist apart from the songs that are already added. Still banging flow and rhymes tho
Great album by one of the greats who was gone too soon. I remember discovering Biggie and subsequently this album in high school. Great memories.
Amazing album. Holds up every well. Production is so tight. Love it.
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.
Ok groove and enjoyed the samples. Rapping was good but the lyrics were... well I could not relate to them. Also I think the album was too long. Best song was Suicidal Thoughts.
Niet mijn ding
Even Biggie’s accomplishment can’t save this collection of 90s rap and sex skits.
It's the freaking greatest
he has such a complicated tenor to his voice... really dynamic range, and I suppose it makes sense that a vocalist uses their voice like an instrument... feels like a real kindergarten think to strike me this far into my life loooool.
Du rap
Connu et reconnu : J’aime la vibe chill. Certains sons sont bangers (« juicy ») Par contre, les interlude type « fuck me » c’est insupportable… J’ai ri en imaginant vos têtes haha - Ça va avec la « street cred » de l’époque, du style, etc etc..
Encore un album hip hop rap bien sympa, décidément ma révélation de ce projet albums
East side>>>west side
Toen ik jong was vond ik 2Pac gaaf en daar hoorde dan een beetje bij dat je Biggie kut vond. Geen idee waarom ik daar in mee ging, want ik was ook weer geen uitgesproken fan van 2Pac. Geen te stoere t-shirts voor mij, geen bandana op m'n witte bolletje, maak je maar geen zorgen; ik vond bepaalde nummers gewoon leuk. Maargoed, daar moest ik later wel op teruggekomen. Ik vind Biggie inmiddels veel toffer dan 2Pac. 2Pac anno nu klinkt wat gedateerd, fout, terwijl Biggie nog altijd goed klinkt. Waar 2Pac vooral stoer loopt te doen is Biggie eigenhandig de kunst van het rappen omhoog aan het tillen met een partij binnenrijm waar je u tegen moet zeggen. Uiteraard terwijl 'ie stoer doet, maar dat hoort er nou eenmaal bij (ik hoor ergens in het midden des lands m'n luistergenoot alweer struikelen over regels als "Alles wat ik wil is teefjes, grote achterwerk teefjes"). Probeer maar eens het rijmschema van 'Machine Gun Funk' in de gaten te houden, waarschijnlijk mis je de helft nog zelfs als je je best doet. En ome Christopher laat het allemaal gemakkelijk en daardoor lekker klinken. Volgens mij heb ik ooit wel eens gezegd dat rap van vóór dit album nog niet zo de moeite waard was. Er zullen vast her en der uitzonderingen te vinden zijn, maar als vuistregel klopt dat volgens mij redelijk. 5 sterren.
Pretty good, might listen to Big Poppa agian.
Could not finish it. Too vulgar.
beautiful
I’ve listened to this album before. Favorites: Machine Gun Funk, One More Chance, Juicy, Me and My Bitch, Big Poppa, Friend of Mine Thoughts: I liked this album a lot more this time. I love his flow, the production, everything just hit me harder on this. The raw sound of the drums, and simple piano backing combined with Biggie’s voice makes me go … BUT, this album induced skips due to the moaning. “Biggie be like ‘this song slaps, let me add some women moaning’”
I was always more of a 2pac guy, but this album is fucking great. Juicy is amazing. Oh, but there’s too many skits. Oh, but the lyrics…won’t somebody please think of the children. Eat a bag of dicks, loser. 90’s rap was the best.
I love hearing sex sounds, oral and otherwise, while enjoying some east coast hip hop jams......probably a 5 without the skits.
I felt objectified the entire time, but still iconic
Fun times. Don’t know if I ever listened all the way thru. Btw don’t listen with your daughters in the car. Yikes. As mentioned by everyone else, Lyrics and “sounds” don’t hold up to today’s standards of respect.
Nice album but I didn’t like the whole sex surround thing I felt like every song at least half of it was sex and I got over it real quick
An album which showcases the art of the album very well. Interludes and stories peppered throughout make it a really enjoyable and interesting album to listen through all the way through, in the order it was intended! Shout out to the hits on this of course. Goes without saying that it contains some iconic songs.
Not really a rap fan. This was just ok for me.
Super interesting and really powerful
9/10
Algumas faixas interessantes
I was worried given it was 90s hip hop and the track count that I was going to have to listen to a bunch of "skits" between songs. Thankfully any were quite short and mostly as outros to other songs. It's a shame that he was murdered at 24, as I'm sure he would have continued to put out great music. Another, "I'm not really a fan of rap but..."
“I got the cleanest, meanest, penis”. Actually made me laugh. This honestly felt like an album glorifying this man’s dick.
This record is an autobiographical movie about fucking and hustling and rapping. It’s immersive, at times redundant, but still always a fun listen.
Some songs are total 5/5 and other songs are 1/5. We're meeting in the middle with 3 stars. I think the narrative quality of this album is stellar. The journey that the listener go on is still relevant to this day and the lyrics are quite powerful.
It was all a dream! I used to read Word Up magazine! Biggie's debut album when he was 22, and he was killed when he was 24. It's always unbelievable the mark people can leave on the world in such a short period of time. To this day Biggie is on many peoples Mount Rushmore of GOATs. I don't know if he's on mine (who cares?) but he's definitely easy top 10. His flow is just next level and in 1994 there was no one like him until Eminem. He's so good at just flowing words and rhymes schemes together. In terms of a hip hop album, all the normal hip hop tropes are there, which is why the white church-going old grannies on here will be upset with the album. Unfortunately, it's true that the only real message from this album is "i'm doing gangsta shit and going to die doing gangsta shit", which I guess is accurate. I think the storytelling is good song to song, but there's no central theme other than "i'm a gangster" which I guess is normal. Anyway, this album is legendary for showcasing Biggies incredible flow and storytelling.
it's interesting thing in hiphop music
Great Songs: Intro, Gimme the Loot, Ready to Die, One More Chance, Juicy, Everyday Struggle, Big Poppa, Suicidal Thoughts Good Songs: Things Done Changed, Machine Gun Funk, Warning, The What, Me and My Bitch, Respect, Friend of Mine, Unbelievable, Who Shot Ya?, Just Playing (Dreams) Mid Songs: Fuck Me Bad Songs:
What is there to say, BIG is one of the greatest lyricists ever to live, the issue is the lyrics are so close to horror rap, and with recent accusations about his manager being made public, this whole thing feels so uncomfortable. Misogyny, questionable (even by rap of the times standards) lyrics aside. Production is amazing, flow is amazing and BIG is incredibly talents. Obvious shoutout to "juicy" and "the what".
"Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight" For a debut album, this is a hell of piece of work. Solid flow, great use of beats, all coming together to tell Biggy's life story. One More Chance Juicy Big Poppa
it's so good but why does he hate women sm
Wouldn't necessarily listen to this normally, but it's a classic. Stand-outs - Ready to Die - Big Poppa - Who Shot Ya?
He has better rhymes then "escargot, my car go" but they never were big singles. Not a bad album, I have a soft spot for big papa
The flow, the storytelling, the hooks. Peak 90s hip-hop from maybe the best to ever pick up a mic. The skits get a little annoying, but that’s really “of the time” and forgivable given the context. 5 if not not the skits. Biggie for life.
Så godt flow og teknisk, MEN de skits er for meget og teksterne er liiige lidt for sexistiske. Den har aged som mælk. Stadig god tho!!
Not a big fan of this. Definitely did NOT like "just playing". Gross. I can appreciate the throughline of the story and the bars but I think it was just not meant for me. 5/10
It's a solid hip hop album and properly representative of the golden age of hip hop in the 1990s. "Big Poppa" is a great track. Still, I enjoyed and enjoy other albums of the time more.
Not my kind of music, that's also the reason I don't have this album in my collection.
Who cares? It's not interesting. Over an hour of music with 2 decent songs.
3.5 - good songs with some skippable parts
Some tunes but what the hell was going on with the interludes
There’s probably a 5 to be made by trimming several songs and adjusting the sequencing.
Not a hip-hop buff, but worth the listen. I found it pretty repetitive (especially lyrically). I guess this may have been pretty provocative, but I found it kind of boring.
It was lowkey a bop but honestly I can't even believe I listened to this, basically just about shooting people down on top of some ridiculously uncomfortable theming that had me turning it off midway through
Let’s start with the positives. The beats and flow are great, and Biggie can deliver a line as well as anyone. The problem is what he’s actually saying. Lyrically and thematically, it’s one note. He’s either going to shoot you or fuck you. That might work for a few tracks, but stretched across an album this long, it’s exhausting. And the skits are terrible. What is it with skits on 90s rap albums? There are quite a few songs on here that are a 4 but the rest just don’t make the grade.
Biggie Smalls rolled onto the scene in the mid-90’s looking like he just left an IHOP in the ghetto but he could spit lyrics that would make your head spin. His rags to riches story was unreal and he rose to the top of the rap game as quickly as he had entered it. Ready to Die was prophetic as Notorious BIG wouldn’t live long enough to release his second album a couple of years later, having gotten caught up in the East/West rappers conflict. Biggie’s rhymes are elite and I’d put him in the conversation of being the greatest rapper of all time. He tells a story using colorful language that is as on point as it is appropriate. Listening to this album once again also makes me realize how much of a leach Puffy was regarding Biggie. I’ll give him credit for recognizing his talent, signing him to his emerging label, and supporting his very short career, but he adds nothing to this album despite forcibly sticking his nose in on every other song. Biggie will be remembered for the songs he delivered on this album and for the talents that were lost in ‘97. So pour out your 40 for another artist that left this world too early and thank the rap gods for the Notorious BIG rhymes we got to experience. …and if you don’t know, now you know [redacted].
This is the pinnacle of mid-90s gangster hip-hop with its thug rap, gat-toting, blunt smoking, bitch-smacking lyrical cavalcade. If you expected antthing less from Biggie Smalls, you’re dumber than a screen door on a submarine. Because the lyrics are both powerful and polarizing, there’s a lot to love and a lot to hate. His words are unapologetic and brash and the stories he weaves are told with a deft wordplay that makes him stand out in the genre. When it works, it’s legendary. When it doesn’t, it’s offensive, dated and foolish. Musically, there’s a lot of innovative sound work with sampling and the beats are tight AF. A classic even if it offends your senses.
Hearing how dated this is makes me feel old. The singles on here are great. Biggie's delivery is outstanding, smooth and cool. He had amazing flow to his rhymes, everything just seemed to flow naturally from him. The skits on 90s rap CDs always drove me nuts, with very few exceptions all just felt goofy and dumb. Time has not aged them well at all. Anyway, I enjoyed listening to the songs I remembered, among the best of the genre for sure. The rest was filler and goofy, not terrible, but not great.
He sings with conviction. Like all of the little clips and references. Classic old school hip hop
3/5 Flow, samples e batidas absurdas. As letras, após 79 minutos, tendem a ficar repetitivas e a maioria é mais que problemática.
Albums like this seem to be an evolutionary step of hip hop. I like the scripted tracks sprinkled in.
would have liked this album much more if the lyrics weren't so offensive. many songs in this album made me feel sick to my stomach. ignoring all the lyrics, the instrumentals and beat was good, but because of how offensive this is, I cant give it higher than a 2. 3/10
This will be a 4.
The highlights were stellar, but there is a whole lot of filler. And entirely too much Puffy.
This album didn't age well, but Biggie was one of the all time greats.
5/5 album but I still stand by the fact biggie and Tupac are overrated
It’s been quite a while since I’ve listened to this. The subject matter is hardcore - his technical skill and storytelling abilities bring you into his world at the time. Amazing talent. Great production too - really has that gritty sound. The unforgivable part in all of this is him having the listeners hear him having sex - no thank you.
Interesting lyrics and music. Hard to get past the mysoginism.
LOVE! Beat, flow, rythym was incredible. I couldn't help but bop around. Pretty misogynistic but whatever
Gordo foda e álbum clássico p fechar uma grande semana de curadoria
Classico
A core gangsta rap album, approaching the very id of the genre. Full of bragadocious boasting, luxurious boom-bap beats, and portraits of crime, sex, and drugs which oscillate between caricature and autobiography. Behind it all, though, is Biggie’s stark fear of his own mortality—it’s right there in the title, and made clear as can be on the final track. So this album really captures the tension of this entire genre, glorifying a life of crime in the same breath as it despairs over it. This is how it fulfills multiple purposes, providing escapism for the white kids in the suburbs as well as chilly reality for the adults in the slums. And, of course, the album works because Biggie is an all-time great rapper. His flow never cracks. An important album which will live for a long time, though it is dated (and occasionally cringe-worthy) enough that I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites. Best song: Juicy
A remarkably controlled debut that balances narrative detail, charisma, and commercial instinct. Biggie’s presence dominates every track, making even weaker moments feel intentional. It’s not flawless, but its focus and confidence remain striking.
Absolute classic.
Great album. A bit more x-rated than I remember 😂
I mean idk if its just cause ive payed attention to only this one album's lyrics, but there are mad misogynistic songs. Like, man, in one song there's a literal sound of a girl blowing off a guy, and in some song you're talking about your daughter. Like hello? But some songs are fire. Big poppa alone, I fricking love that song
this type shiiii
Biggie, en ekte legende i rap-gamet. Gangsta rap; både braggadocious og følsomt. Ikke ofte jeg spisser ørene for å lytte til lyrics, men her er det et must. Noen tekster er humoristiske, mens andre spille på følelser som frykt og sorg. Tydelig at B.I.G. har inspirert en hurv av rappere; eksempelvis gir den paranoide tonen og uforhastede flowen assosiasjoner til Conway the Machines fantastiske album God Don’t Make Mistakes. Dette albumet består av noen av hans største hits i Juicy (husker godt musikkvideon til denne fra barndommen) og Big Poppa (en av de kjedeligere sangene på albumet, spør du meg), i tillegg til en fullkommen samling av fantastiske låter. Innenfor sjangeren, er dette perfeksjon. Top 3: Juicy, Gimme the Loot, Things Done Changed
As a survivor of the East Coast West Coast rap war I have to give 2Pac the win, because come on he was just that much better. Still this album is pretty great. No reason to not give this 5 stars.
Funny enough, I got a 2Pac album a week or two ago. Between the two big 90s guys everyone knows and talks about, 2Pac is significantly better, at least between their respective albums on this list. Biggie is like a walking encyclopedia, though. The random references to other songs, and even non-music things like TV shows and movies, were my favorite parts of the album. 2Pac has him beat in every other respect, but that doesn't make this a bad album at all. The beats are good, he's a pretty on-par lyricist, and the album has some incredible moments, but as a whole it's very mixed.
His voice is good, his flow is good but as a non American this is so off my social understanding, I enjoy hip hop but don’t get the gangsta rap side of things, and I just wanted to skip tracks ( I didn’t as l am trying to do this list completely). But the ego big man shit wore thin after about 1 and a half tracks. And it takes on a whole darker tone and meaning with the P- diddy allegations. I have now heard a whole album of biggie instead of just hearing of him, musically I couldn’t get around the content, not in any way prudish but it just came over as grim, shitty and nasty, sorry but it was a stretch 2 Star cause he has talent and influencial but I a don't have hood fantasy so not my thing unfortunately.
The lyrics made me uncomfortable
It’s kind of a shame because he has such a great voice and a lot of these songs have really cool beats but super misogynist and it’s kind of jarring in 2026, especially with the puffy connection.
I enjoyed this debut album from Biggie. I think this was my first time listening to a whole album by him so that was a fun experience. Overall, I thought this was a solid hip hop/rap album and I would give it a listen again in the future!
It pumps you up, but emotionally it doesn’t always go anywhere new. After a while it starts to feel the same on repeat. Respect it, not emotionally attached.
I get nothing from lyrics but I suspect a bit of misoginy
So. Finally I listen to the Big man. I get the tight verbal. It’s very precise and articulate. And the beats are solid. However all the tough guy misogynist stuff is all sorta black Andrew Tate so only a mid from me.
It was indeed a Notorious and BIG album. Absolutely love it. Impeccable flow, never feel so more white in my life than when I listen to Biggie
Some massive hits, some classic crude interludes, some surprise funk. A early hip hop classic.
I have listened to Life After Death more than Ready to Die, which isn't a commentary on the quality of this album more than it is a commentary on which album I preferred as a teenager. This album reinforces two things: 1. Puff Daddy was fucking useless. He's basically a remora who attaches himself to a better artist. 2. The skits are not funny, not creative and ruin the flow of the album. This was a major problem in the 90's and this album suffers from this problem. It won't affect the overall score from me but I can go without a minute and a half of Biggie having sex. Really great album, even if 2Pac was better.
nope
Cooooool!
Again, gangta rap will never really be my thing. This one gets particularly pornographic. But the hits are the hits and the beats and sample work here are great.
Probably more important/ better than 4 but was in an awful headspace for this at the time. Trying to fly home from Boston in the snow storm
Got halfway through and had enough. Not sure what the big deal is about this guy. And they wanted to ban "Baby, its cold outside"? Give me a break. This gets a 1, even with an open mind.
Falls off at the end imo, still so good and part of my fav genre atm
really cool!
Equal parts hip-hop flow and rap gem, this one raised the bar. Biggie was ahead of his time and was also gone too soon. Props for the Scarface/Geto Boys shout out on One More Chance!
I’ve listened to this many times throughout my life. Slaps the same every time. There is a reason why Biggie is still in conversations about GOAT rappers even with such a short career. This album will touch you, no Diddy.
I'm not a prude but I think it's reasonable not to want to listen to some of these 'interlude' tracks and skits. Just do the songs and get on with it.
Amazing Intro, full of classics
Simply love Biggie's lyricism, he had an incredible knack for storytelling, kept simple enough for you to easily follow along but never to the point of being dull. Its dark, it's humourous, it's witty, it's genuine and it's delivered with this immaculate voice and flow. And he's doing it all over a collection of these perfect, thumping beats. Not one track drops the ball. Everyone was on their A-Game here. Mix that with the knowledge we have in hindsight of Biggie's life that was cut short just a few years after this Record's release and you have an album with an almost mythical presence. The conceptual elements of life and death, especially leading to that final track are kind of chilling following Biggie's death. However that fuck ass interlude + the outro of Respect, and Puff's haunting presence do leave a bit of a bad taste on the mouth. Nevertheless a phenomenal Album Fav Track: 16 - Unbelievable Best Three Track Run: 2, 3, 4
Insanely good beats, some solid bars and flows across the board. I see why it is beloved, but there are better hip hop albums out there
Old-school rap is growing on me and combined with Biggie’s iconic bars and a collection of rock-solid boom bap beats this album is definitely a killer. A talent lost too soon.
I’m definitely not the target demographic for this album, but it just wasn’t for me. Can appreciate it as a classic for rap music, but I would not revisit. The famous songs are great and famous for a reason, otherwise very bloated album with unnecessary interludes. Top Songs: Big Poppa, Juicy, Respect, Just Playing (Dreams)
Respect to the art and the genre! Diddy producing this makes me feel icky about the sex and blowjob interludes.
A true classic, but some filler and could use less skits.
An album I've known for a long time - this one goes down as a classic for me. Juicy, Big Poppa, Warning, Gimme the Loot are all favs
certainly not a dance record, and a lot of the beats are pretty straightforward, but the creativity is crazy
Ready to listen.
Man, if I want to be yelled at I’ll call my ex.
Repeat listen
Great album. I could've done without all the sex noises in that interlude and the outro to Respect though.
It’s no wonder that Notorious B.I.G. Is still talked about. His flows and beats were special, with catchy lyrics and boppy hooks. This album features his most famous hit “Big Poppa”, but every song is incredible. Though the messaging wasn’t always…great…, he speaks to a life that he knows and loves. He tells the stories of his life, from growing up poor, to hustling for whatever scraps he could get, to being rich and sought after. He shows us his complexity. His vast love and deep anger. His respect and disrespect are often wrapped as one, particularly when he’s talking about women. He seems to love his life, but he’s so full of regrets and justifications that he sees his death as deserved. Then again, he really loves having sex. He jumps between sex and death so much this album may as well have been titled Eros and Thanatos. Ultimately, though, this album is fantastic and deserves its place in musical history!
FUCK DIDDY. There are amazing tracks on here and it's really either on or off. I don't do the radio shit. The skits are terrible. The blowjob part is particularly cringy, as is every Diddy cameo. I never listened to Biggie 'cause I thought the whole Bad Boy thing was garbage, and I still think that for the most part. But I've come around more to Biggie. The tracks where he's straight doing his shit over more classic sounding boom bap east coast beats are absolutely incredible. Everything else is overproduced and not what I'm trying to engage with. Biggie shouldn't have been killed, a tragedy Diddy is responsible for. Biggie had more to do.
Get few samples, add 100 "motherfucker" and 10 other curse words, record how you yell to your wife, add sex noises, and there you go - you have an album!
I'll give it a 4.5/5 -- idk if to round up or not.
Ja super solide hiphop album. Ik ben altijd wel fan van diepe en grote stemmen bij rappers. Not to be sex negative maar had ook niet per se seks geluiden te hoeven horen! Goed wel gewoon!
Heavy hitting, storytelling album. Biggie brings us along to his world, for better and for worse. The album drags on ever so slightly—the beats and his voice are slightly too similar for my taste—but it's a great project overall. One of the classics for a reason! The intro to this album is one of the most effective I've ever heard, I was really impressed by it. The title track and Big Poppa were other obvious highlights.
heb nooit geleerd te viben met de interludes/jntros op deze era hiphop albums. verder voelt deze plaat een beetje disjointed maar altijd leuk luisteren
ik genoot erg van de achtergrondzang en de band hierin, maar zo halverwege het album begon het allemaal hetzelfde te klinken. vast deels door een onwijs gebrek aan kennis van mijn kant, maar goed
Biggie definitely has talent as far as gangster rap is concerned, but it's still pretty much the same old gangster rap. A few of the songs here have decent melodies but I can't count how many times I cringed at the lyrics.
I can appreciate that this is a landmark record, but it's lacking musically. A hooky chorus would have been nice; even Juicy's isn't great. Some great story telling despite all the sexual objectification.
Awful gangsta rap
Musically good, awful skits and lyrics
not for me
Classic in the rap industry, and I can see why. To many this is a perfect album but it’s not to me, the flows and sample choice are all top notch and has absolute classic songs. However, this album could’ve been a lot tighter and some songs fill a bit of a filler role. While this album doesn’t have many skits they are so cringe that it takes away a lot of enjoyment. The next thing is the content of the songs, Biggie was really trying to promote a mafia boss figure and in that a lot of the lyrics have aged very poorly whether that be the misogyny or the crime boss lyrics which boil down to cross me and you’ll be sorry. Still a great album but held back by some interesting artistic choices
Widely recognized as one of the greatest hip-hop records ever released, who am I to argue? It's a great album. Biggie is so unique with that big bass-heavy voice and cadence. This is a great record.
Not for me. I tried, but it’s relentlessly passing me by. 1
An incredible piece of music. I felt nostalgic for the days in high school when I would listen to this album. This might deserve a five star rating but I found myself upset with the constant themes of violence. I understand the context and life Biggie lived, but in 2026 at my stage in life I felt overwhelmed by the violent narrative.
Man, after everything that has come out about p diddy, this album feels so emotional. I love this album - from the beats themselves to the lyrics that tell such a story. Big fan!
although i can appreciate how iconic it is and the storytelling from beginning to end i just don’t care for much cursing
Banger top to bottom bar hearing him have the creakiest sex in the world.
I'm obsessed. I grew up with yay area rap/hip-hop so east coast stuff was not really promoted. It feels like I'm transported back to the 90s, walking around new york. Some weird interludes but that's just part of the album's story.
pretty damn good
That was a rough one for me! : )) But I could tell that it was quite the creation ....
Vibes are great, as with most of the rap albums on this list, it takes more than one listen. I need to put it on a few more times I think to really appreciate it.
11-1-26
The good: Juicy, Big Poppa, Respect ( until the last couple seconds), Just Playing (Dreams) The less good: Intro, Interlude There’s some good stuff here but parts of it bring it down. Idk
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.
landmark hip-hop classic. masterful storytelling, complex narratives of street life, unmatched lyrical dexterity, smooth flow, and blend of grit with vulnerability, tragic realism
Some stunning samples used!
Mid, with some bangers like gimme the loot
eu já gostei mais de big, mas acho que nunca tinha escutado o álbum completo, só músicas soltas. entendo a importância do álbum pra cena, mas acho que não sou o público alvo.
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.