Reviews (page 5 of 14)
1/10 Gangsta rap. Don't like it
New to me. I enjoyed the tales as I only have sketchy memories of the storey. Thankful for Spotify lyrics.
A lot of the songs on this are good but there are way too many of them on this. Add in the the skits and it really makes this a tough listen.
I can recognize the impact of this. I feel like he would’ve been a fan of Doechii today. That said, it’s not for me. My favorite track was Juicy, and the back half of the album was more interesting to me than the front.
Just not my cup of tea. I’m sure it’s someone’s.
Impossible to not head nod to these jams. Puff Daddy - as he was called at the time - and Big really came swinging out the gate here. Just an unbeatable combination of flow and streetsmart raps, but made palatable with radio cuts like Juicy or Big Poppa. Puff had his eye on crossover and empire and that he did.
white californian boy stuns with his east coast rap knowledge jk this was solid tho . like i get it 100% . some misses for me tho and i don’t love sex skits im sorry #asexualasfuck
Yeah, this sucks.
I love this album, it’s my deep-cleaning-my-apartment album (I haven’t listened to it in a while which means it’s time to deep clean my apartment) It really gets my blood going, but I also love seeing a vulnerable side in a guy like Biggy G (suicidal thoughts). Really normalizes bad bitches like us getting sad
To me this is like a greatest hits album. I grew up listening to this album and it helped form my love of hip hop. Big’s rhyming, samples, beats, and flow are just so aggressive and creative. There were a few tracks I didn’t remember too well so hearing this in full again gives it the full effect. The whole album is just littered with great lines.
Lots of sounds I heard already from other newer musicians, because he be iconic. A lot of lyrics about hood that I wouldn’t ever understand, so hard to relate. It does get you to swing your head to the beat. But THOSE SEXUAL REFERENCES AND STRAIGHT UP SOUNDS OF HIM FUCKING AND SOMEONE SUCKING HIM OFF WTFFFFF
I like it, it's annoyingly explicit in a couple parts.
Used to blast this in my mom's SUV on my way to Catholic prep school. Everyday Struggle for sure.
More angry gangsta rap bravado. Bored after one song. I think rap albums need to be turned into drinking bingo. Mother F, N word, female dog, and assorted shooting phrases - gets you very drunk. Maybe you can then enjoy the music?
I obviously know Biggie and the irony if the album title iant lost on me but i really havent liatemed to any of his albums. Looking forward to this. Track 1, Curtis, Sugarhill, a good start. Intro is am interesting prelude-type, scene setting track. Track 2 and i understamd the hype. Smooth laid back delivery that seems to define east coast rap, but a great ability to set the scene, convey a story, like NAS Illmatic. Really enjoyed this album.
The production and flow are good, but I didn't need multiple interludes of the sound of Biggie having sex. It's too long, as well.
Niet voor mij
Too much rated
A hood masterpiece. To my shame, when Biggie came on the scene I thought he was literally a novelty act like the Fat Boyz. Still we wish we could excise Puffy from this, though.
I have no further interest in listening to this again.
Voor mij veel te grof en heftig. Snap dat dit echt een ding kan zijn. Maar niet voor mij. Al zijn sommige beats wel vet.
The hits are fun, but rest of the album was meh
No mi estilo :P
It’s a classic album for a reason. He started a lot of trends, people have sampled these beats and he’s just an icon in the hip hop industry. The sex scenes in this were really weird, but I know it’s the point.
This album does show it's age a little, a lot of violence and repetitive themes, but when it works, it really really really works. Is Biggie maybe the greatest to ever do it? I kind of think so. There are some big bright spots on this album. 'Juicy' and 'Big Poppa' will always stand the test of time I think. I love the beginning lyrics of 'Suicidal Thoughts'. The album is long, but has so much to offer. Biggie's flow and rhymes are often times unbelievably good. Like with other long albums I think this suffers from some lulls and some repetition, I don't love most of the skits and Puffy sucks. Despite all of that, this is a classic and pretty much rocks the whole way through, the highs really erase any of the lows for me.
As much as the older hip hop doesn't resonate with me. This record has some solid tracks on it. I had a lot of fun.
good
Bem diferente do que costumo escutar, mas muito bom!!!!!!!
One-dimensional misogynistic posturing, replete with obscenities. And musically, it's of no interest to me.
I liked the sampling but there was very little else I liked about this album. I only managed one listen and didn't feel inclined to listen too closely to the lyrics. Macho and quite possibly misogynistic. Musically this is not my thing at all but if it's made it to this list perhaps it is a very good example of this type of stuff.
Biggie is a rap legend and many tracks on this album such as Juicy and Big Poppa demonstrate that fact. But like Biggie, this album struggles under its own weight. I thought it was too long and some of the skits were unpleasant. I will definitely return to many of the tracks from this album but it's unlikely I will listen to the whole thing in one sitting again anytime soon.
peak
not that bad
A very good album, but very much a product of its time. However it made me think: was this album just following the trend at the time or did it set it? I am more inclined toward the second option. However the weak interludes detract a point from this otherwise great album. 4/5
not for me
It's a classic... what else am I supposed to say
Muy sin mas, tiene canciones chulas y concoidas, pero que una cancion sola sea una escena de sexo no me incita mucho la verdad. Alguna se salva, pero no tiene pinta de ser el album que escucharia completo otra vez
Goes hard 4/5 - too many sex recordings - would one be too many?
Rap is not always in steady rotation for me, but it’s so easy to tell when you’re listening to the best of it. This is such an incredible example of NY rap, and I can’t think of too many people with a flow that matches Biggie. Best Track: Juicy
So smooth and almost hypnotic, love the story telling.
Every song is some combination of the following themes: drugs, guns, and sex. Very generic beat and awful vulgar lyrics. What a waste of an hour of my life. Can’t stand this style of rap.
Nie do końca rozumiem jego fenomen, ale chyba po prostu to nie są moje klimaty - jednak słychać zupełnie inny typ hip-hopu niż obecnie
Has some good musicality with the beats and melodies and (at times) lyricism - way too much of the album is just: 'i pull them bitches with mah big ol DICK'. Thoroughly unenjoyable excepting a handful of tracks
So apparently Biggie wasn't doing a skit and actually sexually assaulted a woman on tape and then put it in his album. That's neat. Overall, more listenable than Cee-lo in terms of pure musicality, but, like, ugh.
Je trippe pas trop, ça sonne quand même cool, mais that's it.
I really felt it. I understood it. It made me so sad that he made this and then died so young, but I understand it so deeply. Also his flow is insane, reason he's the goat.
1. Big Poppa 2. Juicy 3. One More Chance I think the key thing to enjoying music is that you relate to it - this doesn’t have to me because you have experienced an identical thing. But, you need to be able to attach a memory, emotion or similar experience to music. I have nothing to attach to this, and so it’s not something I enjoy. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, however for rating purposes I rate based on how much I enjoyed listening and would be likely to listen again. I really did not enjoy listening to this. It’s angry and swears a lot and I have nothing to relate to it. Hence, this has 1 star.
I recognize game. Not always my vibe but I dug it.
3.5
Nobody told me this album is borderline experimental hip-hop. This album is blunt, unapologetic, and endlessly quotable. The first four tracks are impeccably placed and a highlight. The more famous tracks are good too but lesser known tracks like Respect shine through as well. This was a fantastic listen and a very, very welcome surprise.
Eh I’m more of a west coast gal but still some good ones I knew and discovered some new ones.
LOVE THIS ALBUM
this is on me because i go to music for the instrumentals more than the lyrics which is way less of the focus here. big poppa still hits tho
Ok so these obviously all have amazing and like addicting beats. If I listened to just a few songs at a time I would probably give this a 5. I think the problem is this is just sort of too long. I also think this album could have done with a few less graphic sex noises lmao. Being honest I got a little bored of the bars about how big his dick is. Fav songs: things done changed, gimme the loot, big poppa
-at last i am experiencing Biggie. definitely wanna relisten to this one sometime before too long -early 90s gangster rap isn’t necessarily my thing (with the very notable exception of the Wu-Tang Clan), but he channeled something really cool here. East Coast hip hop will always be my favorite -Favorites: Machine Gun Funk, One More Chance, Big Poppa
Pretty stella, hype, selfconsicous album (avoid the intros while drive through the vistors lot of st pats)
i had fun but it’s not my favourite
90's Classic
I’ll never get that hour plus back. Tried, but just not my style of music.
Like the fact there is a story line, but this is still not to my taste.
RIP biggie
We love skits!!! I get why this popped off, especially with the east west feud and subsequent deaths, shoutout Diddy right? If we’re picking sides I’m definitely more Tupac inclined but even that not really that much. The hits on this are great but everything else is borderline okay to boring. She look so good I’d suck her dad’s dick is bar of the century though. Too long, skits are unnecessary, but can fully see, understand, and respect why this was as big as it was.
Ready to Die is a musical odyssey wavering between the prosaic and the profound. There’s a reason why these tracks were both party anthems in their time and garnering critical praise decades later. I’m no prude, but some lyrics are a bit hard to listen to (and even explicit releases of the album feature some censored lines). I think that it’s meant to shock people, both in its vulgarity but also in its brutally honest and often poetic embrace of mortality. I don’t want to make too much of Biggie’s “prescience” or “premonitions” as people tend to do; he may have seemed bigger than life, but he was still a real person and his death was not just a symbolic one for us to wax lyrical about. The music of this album is just as adventurous and ambitious as the words. There are samples that are classic, like the Isley Brothers wrapping around you smooth as silk sheets on “Big Poppa.” And productions that feel way ahead of their time: “Respect” sounds like it could’ve been an outtake from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And then there is the iconic “Juicy” with a Mtume sample that fits so good it feels like it was inevitable. Once again this list is bringing up interesting juxtapositions, and I find myself listening to this right after the Freewheelin’ Dylan, thinking about how young these two voices were, and how powerfully they established an identity.
This album reminds me of the ignorance of youth. It’s by far one of my favorite and most listened to hip hop albums. Bias aside, B.I.G has the rhyme structure of MF DOOM and the flow of 90s Snoop Doggy Dog. He truly is an example of greatness within his genre and this album is surely his magnum opus. “I used to do stick-ups, 'cause hoes is irritating like the hiccups Excuse me, flows just grow through me Like trees to branches, cliffs to avalanches” Could’ve ended the album right there.
A near perfect album. Part of the soundtrack to my 20's.
Ok. Not my thing
catchy but i couldn't get over the outrageously misogynistic lyrics
Favourite Songs: Things Done Changed Warning Ready To Die The What Everyday Struggle Friend Of Mine Unbelievable Suicidal Thoughts Who Shot Ya?
This is awful. I don't like hip-hop, to start with. It gets very boring and, honestly, if the beats changed a bit or something... If the lyrics were a bit more interesting... But, instead, what you get are soulless songs with basic beats and insipid and stupid lyrics that rely on violence, curse, and sex just to be less... tasteless? Well, it gets even worse. It's not that I'm opposed to using violence or sex as topics, I don't get that offended, surely, but... those lyrics? I mean, there are things that should embarrass everyone. And, when it's about making something disruptive, there are ways and ways. And it's neither disruptive but a way to reinforce very odd and dated images. And the music, again, what's the point on a so long album if there is nothing interesting on here? Well, I guess the ego. Then, I'm sorry, you may be notorious, but not big, for sure.
mi aspettavo di più però
The opening track hooked me in, but after that it got a tad samey...and the mysogyny just sealed this album's gate for me. No thank you.
An accessible East Coast debut. Decent story-telling, but I found the beats repetitive and I don't feel that it was breaking new ground considering Dre's The Chronic and Wu Tang's 36 Chambers preceded this.
First time listening to this album. Never a fan of skits between songs but listen first go round. Bragging about how good you are at sexing up the ladies is my not jam if the tracks don't feel solid. Respect is fun as it features Diana King, I love her voice. Biggie sounds more camp sometimes than I'd imagined. ***
not my vibe.
This is not quite my jam.
no fui fan
Few albums bigger than this one in middle/high school. Was not into it then, but I'm onboard now. Legend for a reason; here's reason #1.
Some great songs but too much filler
Very good liked the sounds
Still hits.
It fizzles out a little on the last few tracks but still holds 🐐 status!
Incredible beats and some of my favourite flows. Loved the MM feature.
Classic raps, bad interludes, I'm still not a hip hop fan
Sickkkk album, kinda album that has your head bumping the whole time, really was a story with every song, 8.7/10
4/5 für die Tracks, 2/5 für die Skits
Crazy this man was 21 years old when he made this. Don't love his general disrespect of women, but that's not exactly shocking given *most every* male artist of this genre at the time. "Suicidal Thoughts" is a horribly beautiful track. I also love when an album can elicit a strong feeling, even if it is discomfort (ie. the sex tracks)
This was the quickest hour-plus long album I've ever listened to. I despise the interludes, the misogyny, and the Diddy of it all, but damn, this is a great fucking album.
not for me
The definitive collection of East Coast Gansta Rap cliches.
Im not sure I think this is what others think it is. But it does have some high highs in it
GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: While working FAMILIARITY: Know the artist, not the album SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Still waiting ALBUM ARC: Solid all the way VERDICT: Fair enough BODY'S VERDICT: Toe tapping situation FAVOURITE TRACK: -- My Rating: 2 APPRECIATE: Beats. The brutal honesty and vulnerability of his lyrics about gang life and growing up poor. Some lyrics I applaud, and the way he delivered them was another level. PROBLEMATIC: The graphic depictions of violence, drug dealing, and casual misogyny. Sean Combs.
YOU LOOK SO GOOD I'LL SUCK ON YO DADDY DICK 🗣🗣🗣🗣
Don't like rap.
Damn.
Solid and classic. Really enjoy it
Ugh
He has a smooth style, but too repetitive and lyrically limited for my enjoyment.
OK, got the message: you're a tough guy and gots bitches. Anything else? Not really. I can empathize with the tragic life story, and there's some talent but this just feels like the same message over and over. This is rage and fear and misogyny and uncomfortable. Big Poppa wasn't bad and made me hopeful that the album was taking a turn for the better, and it was followed by Respect which was different and interesting... until the gratuitous ending when the album descended back into the original message.
No thanks
It is a testament to how good a rapper Biggie was that even with all the weird skits and sex noise bits that this is still a good album. I liked "Things Done Changed" "Gimme The Loot" and "Machine Gun Funk" and of course "Big Poppa" is a classic.
This album didn't age as well as I thought it would. There is some great stuff on here, but, idk, it's a little one note, Puffy is on every track... It's getting a bit of a nostalgia bump in the rating, but, uh, well, I look forward to Life After Death showing up on the list.
Very good album. One of the best rap albums ever, very solid. I’ve always loved this alvum
Great album
I'm ready to die too, Biggie.
Great album But I really did not need to listen to moaning for a whole song lol
Overall Rating - 2.30/5 (4.61/10). One of the things I rate on, in genera that I don't usually listen to, is "How relatable or accessible is the album?" Much of this album is not relatable, but the tracks that are are superb. Biggie has taken the time and effort to master his craft, and I respect that.
Best Track - "Juicy"
Good beats, skillful rapping... ...a whole song bragging about his dick followed by a track of sex noises? Casual misogyny? Yeah, gross.
Still a classic. But ran quite long and could have done without the (fucking) skits.
This album did not age as well as I thought it would. Yeah two big songs, but other than that is was very subpar, especially compared to NAS and WuTang and others.
loved it- fun to hear so many references or pieces I know in full
Not my kind of music. Probably a masterpiece.
Good verses, but not my favorite rap album.
Good album but not my thing.
I agree with a lot of reviewers on here. If it wasn't for the cringe skits then this would be a 5* album and im not really into this type of music either.
The beats are fun and I appreciated Biggie's storytelling, but I struggled to get through all the blatant misogyny, really creepy rape comments, casual homophobia, and the glorification of violence. Oh—and it's unnecessarily long. Would've been a solid album otherwise. Notable tracks: Intro, Warning, Suicidal Thoughts
- aborda temas pesados autobiográficos e é imerso de existencialismo. muito influente para o gangsta rap e para o rap no geral. - o flow e storytelling são as melhores qualidades dele, ajudam a construir ambientação, narrativa e emoções muito particulares que o diferenciam de outros rappers como o Nas
Dude liked to fuck and spit bars. Puff daddy liked to fuck up songs, among others… BIG had an amazing flow, the songs pull you in and the bangers bang.
Very talented, and obviously I appreciate his impact on the industry. However, I just can’t relate to the lyrics and many of them are distasteful.
Really great hip hop album. Haven't previously listened to Biggie rap but his lyricism is reeaaalllyyy impressive. Big Poppa is a 90s hip hop masterpiece, and much of the rest of the album holds its own as well. Didn't know he was so sexual but hey as he said, "you know why they call me Biggie".
Man's one hell of a rapper. However, the skits are so annoying that I regret buying this on vinyl. Playlist type man. Remember when everyone put skits on their albums? The 90s eh, the greatest decade in many ways but also so fucking stupid haha.
I mean what else is there to say?
There’s one or two good songs here. I feel like it’s massively overhyped. Also, we get it, he gets laid, no need to make a porno in between several songs.
The radio-friendly almost R&B commercial tracks like Juicy don’t appeal to me much, but I really like the storytelling and humour on the other tracks. There’s some grit or funk to this album that catches me more than other rap albums. Really enjoyed it overall.
first listening...nothing new lots of expletives and some nice rhythm
I don't even like rap but this is great.
All timer
Did not listen all the way through but good vibes
A notoriously BIG waste of time.
The songs alternate between powerful lyrics about his struggles and his prowess in bed. So. Much. Detail. (I’m looking at you One More Chance)
I cannot deal with the misogyny.
Lost my initial notes, but I've been listening to this album a lot and it's definitely a 5. My first listen faded to background noise, but when you give the time to really listen, it feels like a time capsule into the 90s. Hard rapping, good beats, storytelling that holds up today. Curious how this album stacks up to his first, when that one comes up on the list
Wish Diddy could be removed and I separate artists actions from music well so it's not that
One of the world's all time great albums. A high water mark of East Coast hip hop, behind only Illmatic and 36 Chambers. Biggie gets better the older I get. Shame about all of the Diddy ad-libs everywhere- even before he was outed as a creep it was annoying and unneccesary. Lock him up!
Andre 3000 says the art of storytelling is to tell it like it is, then tell it how it could be. Biggie and his beats producer do a bang-up job at telling it how it is, but they don't never tell it how it could be which means this album is dinged down. Also, the interludes are terrible and the album is too long. Now we are down to a 2.5 and might as well round down at this point.
This thing takes all of the elements of 90s rap, turns it up to 11, and concentrates into one hour plus long package. On the plus side, it's technically brilliant. On the other hand,it concentrates and amplifies the worst morally repugnant elements of it. And masterful skill to abominable ends does not make for great craft. (Plus there's the f-slur and you know my rule.)
I'm not against having sex noises in music (Mr Flash's "Monsieur Sexe" mix is one I've listened to many times!) but man. not like this
Salut à toi, installe-toi et prends une bière tiède ou un thé au jasmin, selon ton humeur car aujourd'hui, on laisse un peu de côté mes obsessions habituelles. On range les vinyles de Current 93 dans leur pochette en papier de soie, on met en pause le drone assourdissant de Sunn O))) qui fait vibrer les vitres du salon depuis trois jours, et on sort la tête de l’underground noisy pour aller respirer l’air vicié mais électrisant de Brooklyn. On est en 1994, une année charnière. Kurt Cobain vient de se faire sauter le caisson, laissant le rock alternatif orphelin et dépressif. Pendant ce temps-là, de l'autre côté du spectre musical, le Hip-Hop est en pleine guerre civile, une sorte de Guerre de Sécession avec des beats funky et des Glock 9mm. À ma gauche, la West Coast, dominée par l’ombre gigantesque de Dr. Dre et le flow nonchalant de Snoop, qui ont transformé le gangsta rap en une machine à cash huilée au G-Funk. À ma droite, la East Coast, New York, le berceau du truc, qui fait la gueule parce qu'elle a perdu sa couronne. C'est dans ce contexte de tension palpable, où les balles commençaient à coûter moins cher que les disques, que débarque un mastodonte. Un type qui n'avait pas le physique de l'emploi, pas la gueule de porte-bonheur, mais un charisme à faire passer un prédicateur évangéliste pour un comptable sous Xanax. Christopher George Latore Wallace aka Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G. L'album s'appelle "Ready To Die" et bordel, avec un titre pareil et la photo du bébé sur la pochette (qui rappelle étrangement celle de l'excellent "Illmatic" de Nas sorti la même année, on ne va pas se mentir, les mecs du marketing ne se sont pas foulés), on sentait que ça n'allait pas être une promenade de santé dans les champs de pâquerettes. Alors, moi, le disquaire indé qui triait des imports de post-rock japonais en 1996, qu'est-ce que je fous avec du Bad Boy Records sur ma platine ? Eh bien, figure-toi qu'il faut savoir reconnaître la grandeur, même quand elle ne porte pas un t-shirt de Joy Division. On ne peut pas parler de cet album sans parler de l'autre entité maléfique de l'équation : Sean "Puffy" Combs (Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Brother Love, ou peu importe comment ce type s'appelle cette semaine). C'est lui qui a signé Biggie et c'est là que réside tout le paradoxe de cet album. On a d'un côté Biggie, un conteur de rue incroyable, sombre, dépressif, violent, doté d'un flow technique et lourd comme une enclume. Et de l'autre, on a Puffy, le roi du sample grillé, le mec qui veut que ça brille, que ça passe en radio, que ça se vende par palettes. Et le miracle de "Ready To Die", c'est que cette friction fonctionne. C'est la rencontre entre la crasse du trottoir et le champagne du VIP Room. L'album s'ouvre sur une intro cinématographique qui retrace la vie du protagoniste, de sa naissance à sa vie de criminel. C'est bien foutu, ça met dans l'ambiance et puis, ça déboule, les productions sont massives. On tape dans le funk bien gras (Mtume sur "Juicy", les Isley Brothers sur "Big Poppa") c'est du lourd. "Juicy", c'est l'hymne ultime du "rags to riches" et même si tu es un gothique dépressif qui ne jure que par "Pornography" des Cure, il est physiquement impossible de ne pas hocher la tête sur ce morceau. C'est la définition même du tube. Biggie avait ce truc rare : une voix. Pas juste un timbre, mais une présence. On dirait qu'il rappe avec la bouche pleine de billes, mais chaque mot est articulé avec une précision chirurgicale. Il raconte des histoires de deal, de braquages ("Gimme the Loot", où il rappe deux voix différentes, une prouesse), de paranoïa. C'est sombre, c'est glauque, mais c'est raconté avec un tel panache que ça en devient glorieux. Mais… Et c'est un gros "Mais" qui justifie à lui même la note de 3 sur 5... Il y a des longueurs. L'album dure une plombe (près de 70 minutes dans sa version intégrale). À l'époque du CD, on avait cette manie de vouloir remplir la galette jusqu'à la gueule. Résultat : il y a du gras, des morceaux moins inspirés qui diluent un peu la force de frappe de l'ensemble. Et puis, il y a ce point qui me fait marrer autant qu'il me fait grimacer, les interludes. Ah, les putains d'interludes de rap des années 90… Quelle plaie. Qui a décidé un jour que c'était une bonne idée de couper la dynamique d'un album avec des sketchs pas drôles ou des bruits de couloir ? Mais là où on touche le fond, c'est avec les interludes sexuels. Bon je ne suis pas un militant féministe de la première heure, je ne passe pas mes dimanches à déconstruire mon patriarcat intérieur en buvant du lait de soja, mais bordel, écouter ça aujourd'hui, c'est une épreuve. L'interlude où on entend Biggie recevoir une fellation (avec des bruits de succion qu'on jurerait enregistrés avec un micro placé dans la gorge), c'est juste… gênant. C'est vulgaire sans être drôle, c'est gratuit, et ça vieillit aussi bien qu'un sandwich au thon oublié sur la plage arrière d'une voiture en plein mois d'août. Je pourrais rajouter avec ma poésie habituelle qui sent bon l'humour à deux balles : "Je trouve que certaines interludes sont vraiment limites dans les temps qui courent. Limites à se faire shooter au coin d'une rue par une chienne de garde." Et c'est exactement ça, si tu passes ça à fond la caisse fenêtres ouvertes aujourd'hui, tu risques l'excommunication sociale immédiate, voire un thread Twitter à ton nom pour apologie de la misogynie crasse. C'est le produit de son époque, certes, une époque où le rap jouait la surenchère de la virilité toxique, mais ça casse l'écoute. On passe d'un chef-d'œuvre de storytelling ("Suicidal Thoughts") à des bruits de cul dignes d'un film X bas de gamme sur VHS rayée. Ça fait tache… Ce qui sauve le tout, et qui donne à cet album sa note de 4/5, c'est sa conclusion et sa résonance historique. "Suicidal Thoughts" est un morceau effrayant. Biggie y appelle Puffy en pleine nuit, lui raconte qu'il veut en finir, qu'il est une merde, que le paradis ne veut pas de lui. Et ça se termine par un coup de feu. Quand on sait que l'album suivant s'appellera "Life After Death" et sortira quelques jours après son véritable assassinat à Los Angeles, ça fout les jetons. "Ready To Die" n'était pas qu'un titre pour faire le malin, c'était une prophétie. Il y a une urgence, une fatalité dans cet album qui dépasse le simple cadre du rap game. C'est le son d'un mec qui sait qu'il vit en sursis. Alors, est-ce que c'est un album qu'il faut avoir écouté avant de mourir ? Oui, absolument. C'est la pierre angulaire du rap East Coast des années 90 et c'est l'album qui a remis New York sur la carte face à la domination californienne. C'est la naissance d'une légende qui n'aura pas eu le temps de vieillir. Mais est-ce un album parfait ? Non. Il faut avoir la télécommande à portée de main pour sauter ces foutus interludes qui te donnent l'impression d'être un voyeur pervers coincé dans un vestiaire de lycée. C'est un disque massif, boursouflé, brillant, vulgaire, touchant et terrifiant. C'est l'Amérique de 94, celle de Clinton, des ghettos qui brûlent et du champagne qui coule à flots. Au final 3/5, c'est une note honnête, ça vaut le détour pour la technique incroyable de Biggie, pour ces hymnes qui ont ambiancé nos soirées (même nous, les rockeurs, on a dansé sur "Big Poppa" quand on était bourrés, avouons-le), et pour cette noirceur abyssale qui côtoie le clinquant. Allez, je retourne écouter "Unknown Pleasures" car Ian Curtis aussi avait des idées noires, mais au moins, il nous épargnait les bruits de succion.
Fan alltså. Jag älskar biggie och detta album är inget undantag. Hög deppfaktor på albumet, jag får verkligen känslan av att jag håller örat mot en smutsig tapetserad lägenhetsvägg och tjuvlyssnar på grannarnas hastigt förfallande/kaotiska relation. Hela albumet känns som en livskris. Grymt inlevelsefullt. Och tragiskt. Tyvärr dras kvaliteten ner kraftigt av alla tramsiga skits och misogyna texter. Jag har lätt för att ignorera texter i låtar men det här dansar på cringe-territorium och då kan inte ens jag blunda för det. 4/5.
not my thing 1/5
This was pretty timely. I just finished a book that mentioned him. Not my thing though. Seems to have a pretty limited vocabulary
Another iconic rap album. This is good. I still dislike interludes. Listening to "Fuck Me" while in the office felt wrong.... (Sorry Madison, WI office). Overall this is a fun album tho. Solid 3.5. Very aggressive, but hype. Liked Songs: "Things Done Changed" , "Warning" , "One More Chance" , "Me and My Bitch" , "Big Poppa" , "
2.75
This is somewhat of a low rating, I know... there are some amazing songs on this, I love Things Done Changed and Ready to Die, but I'd be lying if I said that this wasn't a bit long for me. I think I just get tired of this kinda thing quickly, it has too be a fucking weird rap record for me to really be into it I think. Great vibes tho, I'll be jamming some songs off of this for sure.
3.5 stars “Juicy” might be one of the best rap songs of all time. And this album is generally an amazing debut. But the skits and the unnecessary excess of tracks that don’t really add to the quality hold it back. Biggie clearly has the chops to be considered one of the best of all time, but this album shows the tiring tropes of its time, misogyny, braggadocio, and emphasis on violence, over decent beats. I’ll listen to the good tracks again and again, but the album as a whole? Nah.
Not my cup of tea at all, but I can see how it's lauded by fans of the genre...
I really wanted to like this album. I know it is one of the quintessential defining east coast rap albums. The song "Juicy" has everything you could want in a rap song and reflects the whole story of this album perfectly, a rags to riches story, the underdog, the glitz and glamour. My problem was, that aside from that track and a couple others, I felt like a lot of the rest of the album got in the way of this story. I do really like the way Biggie raps, his relaxed flow ties the genre back to the early spoken word jazz and funk style from the 70's, but the gangster, meanest guy in the room persona gets a little bit tired and feels like it takes up too much room on this otherwise iconic album.
Seems the hip hop albums always hit me back to back. I had a stretch of like 2 weeks in the summer where every other album was a hip hop album and now this is the third hip hop album I've had in the past week. For the first half of Ready to Die, I was actually enjoying it a lot more than expected. Still full of tired gangsta rap tropes I can't stand and can't relate to (questionable views on women, violence, overuse of the n-word, absolutely terrible interludes, etc.), but it sure is smooth and the Notorious BIG was a great rapper. Unfortunately, it really wore out its welcome for me. By the time "Me and My Bitch" came on I was so tired of this album and I just wanted it to end.
Ha, kul. Od prej poznam dva komada ("Juicy" in "Big Poppa"). Lol, začne se z rojevanjem? In z enim prvih rap komadov ("Rapper's Delight"), čez pa kreganje. A je to kao literal birth & childhood od Biggieja? I guess je bil v zaporu na neki točki (in ja, wiki prav concept album, semi-autobiographical). So far mi je kul, v bistvu drugač kokr sm si predstavljala, glede na to, da so mi od njega poznani sam ta ful znani komadi, ki so bli singli. Razen tretjega singla, do katerga sm glih prišla ("One More Chance"), k je pa so far večinoma komad o tem kok ma oz. je mel super duper kurac (lol ta wiki del: '...and asserting that he has a very large and desirable penis.'). Ok, ta "Fuck Me (Interlude)" z Lil' Kim je ...something. Vsaj kinda funny. Od na novo slišanih mi je "Respect" kul. Razen skit del na konc, lol. Ok, nasledn, " Friend of Mine" je hud. "Unbelievable" isto.
Intro : gave me anxiety- like AH. but I do like the background music thing going on. It did not feel like a song felt like AHH which ik is the point but not my thing... Things done changing : yes vibes, so far my favorite. "Back in the days, our parents used to take care of us / Look at 'em now, they even fuckin' scared of us" is bars "Machine Gun funk" : 2nd favorite so far. I love the storytelling of the album, it feels like every song leads into the next. "ready to die" - good track, def goes into the story telling. The little audio details are so fun. in juicy "blow up like the world trade" caught me completely by surprise.. haha. also hamilton refrence (trust Ik its not) 4/5 overall I really enjoyed and probably would listen to most of it again and i only didnt really like a couple songs! (ALSO : now ik where all the samples come from : big poppa ding noises)
I'm so glad I gave this One More Chance. Biggie got the meanest cleanest penis.
Middle of the road hip-hop with the ingredients for something amazing
classic album
Ages terribly
Overall cool '90s rap album, lots of sampling, throw a weird skit in the mix, it's all very familiar to other rap classics I've received from the list, and they released earlier, but it still sounds good and it earns a listen
He says the word penis too much.
Sets the Standard
Best hip hop album ever
Gave it a go, listened to about 5 tracks, needed to make a phone call, and now I can’t be arsed to go back. I think I got the gist. He can shoot people and rhyme about it. It’s probably a 2 because of the catchy-ish beats, but ultimately even they are basic and repetitive. Not in the mood for this today.
Gangster rap is not for me.
Hackneyed
Where do I start with this review? Hell, I won't bother because quite frankly, the lyrics alone don't deserve any further airtime. Lazy, boring, misogynistic, tripe. It's a waste of a single star
Very nice Good beats Dome songs were a little weird but it was cool
crazy that biggie was only 22 when he put out this album, and would die two years later. a couple all time great tracks here, mixed with absolute garbage skits.
4 stars despite the worst skit ever
A lot of swearing doesn't make a good album unless you are 12. While done of the beats are good the rapping is just ok. Maybe gangsta rap isn't my thing but no idea why this is considered a classic.
Biggie!
As with some other albums in this genre, I doubt my ability to review it because I can't engage with it. Unfortunately, it's the level of swearing that literally makes me wince, and stops me really hearing what's being written about. And the level of swagger around sex is really off-putting. So all I tend to do is think about whether the backing/sampling and beats are cool, and try not to "tut" at the bad language. Maybe the language should draw me in, I know it's entirely authentic and appropriate, but it doesn't. For what it's worth, though, even I can hear that the album is creative and really expressive. And well-produced. He was clearly really good at what he did. But I'm sorry, I didnt get through it all (so shoot me for rating it anyway - oh, erm, actually please don't). Gosh he was young when he died.
Ugh this is a tough one. Juicy and Big Poppa are such iconic songs and with good reason, and the album itself is huge for hip hop, but do the rest of the tracks live up to it? A lot of misogyny and I hate those skits. But I’m going to say the rapping is strong enough to get it to a light 5 for me. Amazing album title too.
I know this is listed as one of the top 100 albums of all time, but just not for me. The rhyming is good, as are the beats but I just can't get past the misogyny, violence and general vulgarity.
This was an intense listen. Biggie is a phenomenal rapper, but the song content could be difficult to get through at times. And don't even get me started on the interludes. Why he had to make 2 references to beating Tina turner on one album is beyond me. I wish we could have heard what a mature version of him would sound like. His dying at 24 is horrific.
Flawless in Every way! As good if not better now than 1994!!! Classic!
Really struggled with rating this one. It's really hard to beat Biggie's flow and wordplay. Not every track/skit hits, but the tracks that do hit hit hard. 3.75 stars rounded up.
There’s no denying “Big Poppa” as one of the greatest party songs ever. Like a repeating record on this list, my younger self probably would have rated it higher.
such a complete album
Not into gansta rap I'm afraid, so did absolutely nothing for me.
This was the good to album in my buddy's mini van for after school routes in high school. Whole album is a banger.
2.5 stars. I would easily give it three if it wasn’t for those horrible skits in between, the pornography really affected the flow of the music and his flow is great as were his samples and beats.
Another album that's not for me, but I can recognize. Without Puffy, this could be a 5*. I have long felt that Puffy is a mid producer at best. Biggy was not my favorite, but he had crazy flow, and he could adapt to different styles and beats. All the extra crap Puffy put in here made the album too long and just takes away from Biggie's flow. Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Give me old school West Coast and its progeny and Jay Z if I have to pick a New Yorker. 2.
What an album. What a legend. What a whatever else one might typically say about an excellent album of the rap variety.
I've bopp'd to the bops - but some tracks just felt lacking
Pretty good. I have low tolerance for the 90's gangsta lyrics, though.
some seriously out of pocket lyrics
Beat e flow impeccabili. Testi un pò misogini ed ispirati alla violenza, ma sono comunque frutto dell'esperienza di Biggie e del suo vissuto. Per me pietra miliare dell'Hip Hop
This album is something else. If not for the fact that it's something that's absolutely not for me, that would be a straight up 5/5. But yeah, you should definitely listen to this album, even if hip-hop is not your thing.
Very few songs did I enjoy, but rap really isn't my thing. Still, solid 3.
One of the best albums to come from 90s hip hop.
Classic hip-hop album showing all aspects of the gangster lifestyle. Interludes/skits drag just a bit too long.
1001 Albums to listen to before you die, if I get many more like this death won’t come quickly enough. Absolute shite.
IT’S ENOUGH SKITS
One of the best rap albums of all time.
This album is awful and misogynistic and gross. At the same time ot manages to be poetic, redemptive and heartbreaking. What it is is real life, not pure bragging sex talk and drug trades, but not watered down, family friendly garbage either. It's a real portrait of life on the streets of Brooklyn in 1994, and is a testimony to the odd places genius can come from. It is an artefact from pre-disney New York, which means decadence, violence and reality. Unlike West-coast gangsta rap, Biggie isn't just flexing about all the hos and crackpipes he has, he's not gloryfing gang culture, he's showing NYC in all of its ugly glory.
Like his second album more
Cranked it up and drove around Goring-by-Sea with the windows wound down in my Vauxhall Cavalier SRi. This offered a great opportunity to pretend I was in a real life version of Grand Theft Auto trying to avoid getting a cap in my ass and to not come across one of the many hoes I had wronged. Other than that, some great music, album far too long and could have done without the sex noises creating an awkward moment while I was waiting for an old lady to shuffle across the road at the belisha beacons.
I am definitly not a hip-hop guy. There are some records that resonate with me. There were a few tracks here that I could listen to again.
Skits man! I would rate it higher if it wasn't for skits.
Just a masterpiece. Biggie's flow is ridiculous. A few unfortunate artifacts of the sketch/interlude era of hip hop, but other than that flawless production and just acres of lyrical genius
Undeniably very good, really liked the middle section with really snappy and complimentary production (unfortunately from Diddy). Could do without the skits and sex noises tbh
No.
Slapping the meat, brotha
3.31
It's the man, the myth, the legend. What more needs to be said? fav tracks: Juicy
Another album that I haven't heard in full for years. It's definitely not perfect. Some of it is pretty dated and some of the skits are pretty awful (the sloppy blowjob one especially), but its still a classic. Easily a top 10 most essential hip hop album. The hits are fantastic and so are some of the lesser-known tracks. I've always thought that "Suicidal Thoughts" was a pretty badass song, definitely my favorite of the album. I personally prefer "Life After Death" more as an album, but it's a no-brainer for this to be on the list over that one. Favorite track: Suicidal Thoughts
Not a big rap fan anyway, I see why this is popular and I like the beats but all the talk of drugs bitches and guns it’s just not for me. I don’t want to hear a coerced sloppy beej on an album. Big Poppa do be a jam though.
goddamn it's big, 19 tracks i listened to 7 of them and i feel i'm ready to die without listening to the others but i listened without skips and it means i liked it more than other rap albums. the lyrics still suck the big one but i like the sound here and i'll even give it three stars to distinguish it from the others.
The beats and flow are really good and album's production is also great. The lyrics, however is very dated and revolves around violence, misogyny, drugs, it's horrible to listen to it especially as a woman. I give this two stars for the music itself, but if I consider the lyrics this really should get only one star.
Sadly Biggie was taken from us in 1997, just a couple of years earlier and he wouldn't have been able to inflict this vile nonsense on the music world.
I dunno will I ever like this kind of thing.
Two rap albums in a row? What did I do to deserve this—accidentally insult the algorithm? Musically, Ready to Die is polished and punchy, and Biggie’s flow is undeniably slick. But lyrically? It’s like being trapped in a pub with a bloke who’s had five pints and won’t stop telling you about his imaginary sex life. Constant brags, crude references, and a general vibe of “look how hard I am” that just doesn’t land when you’re a middle-aged Englishman whose idea of rebellion is buying the posh biscuits!! I get that it’s a landmark album, and I can respect the artistry—but I spent most of it wondering if I’d accidentally tuned into a teenage diary read aloud over beats. Not for me, thanks.
The story telling with the great flow and smart bars is amazing!!
So good. Can't believe I haven't listened to this before. B.I.G. sounds like a vet
Probably my favorite flow, and incredible considering how stripped down everything else is.
Yeah... this isn't for me. It's.. kinda gross. So... ... .. no. The longer it goes on the more I hate it.
I want it to be that I don't like hip-hop, but as great as the catchy pop tunes are, the misogyny, the lack of humanity and baloney sandwich rags-to-riches stuff is a bore. "aspirational" hip hop I've been told is the term, but yawn.
Institutional. No notes.
Great music, but ew!
I don't know much about any rap related genre and am a believer that no album should have skits. That being said, you can easily tell Biggie was a true artist. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
Before listening I felt more pressure to like it than to not like it. Honestly I was struck by how dark it was, I'm familiar with Biggie but more as a funny rapper. I know about his story so it doesn't ultimately surprise me, but this is not easy listening. Could be a good one when I'm depressed and working out in the gym.
Meh. I don't know. Something about this. I really didn't care for it.
Day 5: Best tracks: Everyday Struggle, Big Poppa, Juicy, Suicidal Thoughts A few permanent skips for me (One More Chance, Fuck Me (Interlude), Respect). The skits are beyond intrusive. Biggie had flow, but Diddy's vocals in the background appear on too many tracks for me to give anything greater than a 5/10.
Wow. I used to live by Compton and Inglewood. Brought back many memories.
Not the type of music I listen to, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate how good this genuinely was. Like, I feel cool listening to this. Yeah, I listen to old school hip hop. You know what I’m saying?
Very intense but poetic
Foundational storytelling. The ability to keep a listener engaged from track to track, without sounding repetitive, is a rare skill. The vulnerability expressed on this album adds to why it's such a gem. Biggie Smalls is upfront about his lack of self-preservation - but not for a lack of trying on his part. His mother has cancer, his friends continue to die, he is at a point of doing whatever it takes to survive. It's honest, bold, well produced and takes you on a journey without overstaying its welcome. You can tell many rappers later on tried to emulate this sound. However, they were often playing personas or playing into what an industry expected of the genre. Even at the time of the album, the culture of rap had a lot of "posers," with Biggie calling them out on the track Machine Gun Funk. Rap is at its best when it is vulnerable, and when it defies previous waves - reinventing itself for every decade.
I've been stun locked on what I was going to rate this album all weekend. I may circle back to this one and update my review at a later date, but I don't think I know enough about biggie as an artist to rate this higher than a 3 atm. I feel like the album wants to say something and I'm too stupid and ignorant of the artists life to have any sort take away. Which is unfortunate because I like his flow and the tracks themselves. without any context it feels like a 50/50 split of fuckin and killing lot of men moaning on the mic on this list, but biggie took it to the next level with these interludes
Hard to deny Biggie’s influence on the game, but fuck this is a hard listen. Especially given its proximity to biggie’s assassination, which I maintain was a gov’t job. Hell, maybe Tupac was too, I don’t fuckin know. Sorry biggie. Your songs are sad as fuck but they’re extremely good. Sorry you wanted to kill yourself. You would’ve loved MF DOOM bro
Some of the hits from this album are always in rotation but its nice to have a reminder to listen all the way through again. A foundational work, not much to say.
And if ya don't knoooow, now ya know Fuck, I love this album. Biggie has never been my favorite 90s rapper, especially out of the East Coast, but, damn, every track is great. I think saying this album too long is a cop-out; there is not a single track that you could leave off because they're all 10s that a larger story about his life. Major hits aside, you've got "Things Done Changed," "The What," and "Everyday Struggle" on this one, all songs that really speak to Biggie's promise and lyrical talents as an artist. We've got a lot of topical range throughout, too, that gives the album a lot of replay value. A lot of great diversity on the production side, too. Yes, D*ddy, is there, but more importantly DJ Premier and Lord Finesse(!). I find it to be the only Biggie album that doesn't feel over-produced because of the small list of producers involved. Maybe it's got some of the flash that made Diddy popular in the 90s, but there's still that East Coast grime on the shiny suits. Plus, the fucking samples are insane. Production used to be such an art, piecing songs together through the inclusion of this snare hit from this song here, and this bass line from this song here, and so on. "Warning" samples three of the best funk/soul artists to create one of the best rap songs of the era, which is only the result of pure genius and a master craftsman. Highly recommend looking through the sample list and exploring some of those sounds. What I love about 90s hip-hop albums outside of Wu-Tang Clan is how few featured artists there were. After 'The Infamous' by Mobb Deep, we start to see that change a bit, and the late 90s there are a lot of features on albums. But this whole album is just Biggie rapping his ass off with one dope feature from Meth, who was arguably just as big (no pun intended) as Biggie at the time. If you don't know much about Biggie, his life, or his music, I would highly recommend watching a documentary/docuseries on him. The one by Netflix is good (I Got A Story to Tell), but they're all about the same. I've always found hearing his mom talk about his life to be really special.
Many of the best samples, flows, and lines in hip hop. Also, some of the straight up weirdest lines and moves in the genre. Plenty of verses here didn’t age well, but I don’t think that’s completely damning because being raw and provocative was kind of the point. I mean it’s 31 years old, it’s rap from the 1900s. Came out a month after I was born. It’s a testament to the early-ish days of hip hop, as MCs were earning celebrity status and escaping (or trying to escape) some nasty alternatives. Lmao I’m not going to keep writing like I can relate to 90% of Biggie’s story. The only looting I do is on Facebook Marketplace where I meet up at a local coffee shop’s parking lot to sell an old Nintendo DS game. The only guns I’ve owned are Nerf, airsoft, and soldering. Champagne is too carbonated for me; I can’t burp. I just listen to this and think “wow that’s crazy”
Gangsta shit. Hører at det er mye bra her, men trenger å høres mange ganger merker jeg. Og fader for et langt album
Banger!
Det er igjen dette med at det er fett, men ensformg som album. Åpenbart stort for sin tid, men ikke like treffende og godt som helhet i dag. Jeg tror det primært dreier seg om at jeg personlig trenger mer variasjon
80
I paused listening to the album between errands and couldn’t find myself to come back afterwards
Really hated the skits in this. I usually tolerate them in rap albums but I skipped or fast forwarded through most of the ones on this album.
One of the albums you can’t argue with deserves to be on this list. The intro alone puts it on this list. One of my all time favorite hip hop artists, he redefined the genre and defined the era of east coast vs west coast. His voice and storytelling holds you captive and he woos you with storytelling like a ghetto poet and gangster. And songs that become time stamps in the rap catalog. I heard this as a teenager and I blew the doors off the hinges and gave this suburban white kid a peak behind the veil. My sheltered ears weren’t ready to hear some of this though and I loved it for it.
brother I’m trying to work cool it with the horny skits
Listening to this album for the first time in 2025 makes me so sad for young Biggie. Overt sexual assault and violence are themes woven throughout the album. He was such a wildly talented artist and it's sad that he died so young. I was really excited to listen to this album, but I found myself cringing a lot due to the subject matter.... or maybe i just don't get it.
N.O.P.E.
Some classic rap/hip hop.
Brilliant. Near perfect. Tragic we never got the follow up.
not for me
Obviously one of the best albums of all time.
an extra star is always awarded when there's a Curtis sample (not really) Obviously classic, extremely well constructed beats. Musically a 4/5, easily. Vocal flow is super clean. The power-struggling, violent, fragile male ego, misogynistic content of (all) of the lyrics is tired and ages pretty poorly. I like some gangsta rap, usually of the Wu-Tang ilk that acknowledges the darkness and has an element of self-reflection. Ready to Die is mostly just a celebration of small minded behavior and big egos (except for one or two tracks, not enough to convince you that there's really any regret or maturity there.) 1.5/5 on that front. (RIP, tho)
If you can get past the swearing, gun violence, misogyny, sexual references then you might enjoy the raps and beats of this album. Just a bit too much with the sexual references for my taste some of which were a bit gross. I don’t want to listen to that whilst eating my croissant. Best song Juicy.
I remember now why I never got into gangsta rap. Too many guns, bitches, casual homophobia drops, etc. Not for me. Can't separate the beats and rhymes from the content.
The rapper is taking us through the life of an anonymous person. The actual story telling might be starting with the release of the protagonist from prison, where he reflects on his life. Starting with his childhood "back in the day". He doesn't recognize his own neighborhood as people lived their lives and grew up. This confusion and anger for this particular passing of time is very common for incarcerated individuals. He has to reintroduced to the society and to the streets where he makes the exact same mistakes that got him sentenced in the first placed. Hard beats, pleasant to listen to, consistent rhythm, a fair bit of screaming from the rapper. Perhaps a bit repetitive, the tracks melt into each other. There is nothing eccentric or special about any of them. No experimentation, which is a welcome feature but not necessary. Pleasant listening experience, but not anything really worth your listening time, but I do like the concept behind the album as successful writing is part of the success but without good tracks it is not enough.
some all time great songs in here but in between he just talks about his dick a bit too much
A classic. The skits and interludes wreck the flow of an otherwise pretty great album. Like many other reviews, those are gonna cost this album a full star. The misogyny (all over this album) doesn’t age well, but we’d go a long way towards cleaning that up if we just threw out those skits/interludes. I’d like to believe Biggie would have grown up and done better if he lived longer, but the recent Sean Combs (Puff Daddy, Puffy, P-Ditty, et al.) court case suggests he probably wouldn’t have. Subject matter aside, Biggie’s flow is silky smooth and the production is impeccable. This is on a similar level to Nas’s Illmatic in the pantheon of great hiphop debuts, but I only have one of them on vinyl (and I have two copies of that one).
Its got some audio porno that gets old. But otherwise great
Absolute classic!
not bad, interesting relationship with women, there's definitely sexism, but also borderline sexual adoration? interesting
its good. it doesnt seem like he was a very nice fella though
Solid. several songs have been removed from the album on Spotify because of copyright claims, but i loved the music. 10/10
1. Finally, an artist I actually know alot of the discography for 2. Interestingly, the original album ends on Suicidal Thoughts but the Remasters have “Who Shot Ya?” and “Just Playing (Dreams)” to finish it out, apparently this is a frequent thing to add stuff later? 3. There is a certain flow that he is able to consistently do that really gets more emphasis out of words than most rappers I hear 4. RE: Remaster, the same thing happened with Nora Jones’ album, but it’s actually very hard to search on Spotify for “the original” album and the remasters/etc will always take priority or the originals are impossible to find without a direct link 5. “Intro” is overwhelming as hell but maybe that’s kinda supposed to be the point 6. Damn, first song is def “dark” in terms of overall mood, talking about his mom’s cancer, the shitty neighborhoods and things he had to grow up with, it’s just super heavy 7. Idk why, but it’s odd that songs from then don’t explicitly do a “feat. X” so I’m hearing a song like Gimme the Loot and it takes quite a bit of searching to find who is rapping with Biggie (Easy Mo Bee in this example) 8. Jeez, “Gangsta/ster Rap” really used to have a lot of “ya we go out shooting people” and it’s kinda crazy how normalized it was (and kind of still is) 9. That Interlude is… something 10. I’ve heard of a lot of the songs on this album, but my fav new one is The What, 2nd is Respect, 3rd is Unbelievable 11. Did he just say Rudy Giuliani on Everyday Struggle?? 12. He has MULTIPLE songs where a “pager” goes off, and it’s actually very anxiety inducing hearing it and trying to figure out where it’s coming from before you realize it’s in the song 13. Big Poppa still slaps to this day
I don't think I've ever listened to this album in full, or really listened to B.I.G. albums straight through. More just as one of songs. Listening to it as an intentional album feels like it helped me get a lot more into the vibe of it and feel more connected with it. That or this is just B.i.G.'s best album and it was a total sleeper. The "sex scenes" really detract from the experience though. Like bruh....
Too depressing but has juicy and big pappa
so close to perfect, falls off near the end, friend of mine and unbelievable are the only misses. the what is an underrated track. (also ignore the interlude lol we do a bit of trolling) 4.5/5
4.5 stars
This album is exceptional. Keeps going from start to finish with great song after great song. I enjoyed this a lot.
Una vez más, como casi siempre me pasa con los álbums de rap de la vieja escuela: Los beats me aburren. No considero que suene mal, o que los beats sean malos. Simplemente me resulta demasiado monotono. El foco termina estando en el rap en lugar de la producción musical de manera íntegra. Considerando además que las letras en este caso resultan misóginas y recaen los muchos clichés de competencias machistas. Además los temas y el álbum en su totalidad son largos. Si acaso el tiempo de escucha fuese más corto tal vez se apreciaría mejor. "Juicy" y "Big Poppa" son dos canciones a resaltar positivamente, con mucho groove y samples memorables.
The greatest rap album of all time
Fun listen. Certified hood classic
What an intro
Classic, but he’s done better
All time great but not the best
Me encanta el rollo de este disco. Guarradas aparte.... Temazos como "Juicy" o "Big Poppa" son eternos.
не впечатляюсь большими реп альбомами, видимо ностальгия / забавный голос / поп-продакшн максимально пересиливают всякие вот эти лирические путешееествия, противостояние берегоов
I had never listened to this before, and I think the only song I knew going in was Juicy. This gets constantly referenced as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time though, so I guess it's finally time to see what the fuss is about. Overall, if I could just rate this on production and rapping skills, this would probably be a 5. I really like some of the songs, mainly Juicy and some of the storytelling ones near the beginning, but wow so many of these lyrics are just gross. Casual homophobia, misogyny, and passing references to domestic abuse being presented as ok. Don't even get me started on the porn sketches (the blow job one at the end of Respect completely ruins an otherwise great song). I couldn't listen to this album on anything other than headphones without being horrifically embarrassed, and I proudly listen to a lot of weird stuff on my stereo and in the car. I much prefer Illmatic, which came out around the same time, and deals with a lot of similar themes, without being absolutely disgusting in the delivery.
Even if this is not my kind of music at all, I can recognize the genius at work here. The misogyny kills me though.
Juicy is one my favorite vocal turns ever.
Some of the in-between moments could have been left out, but there's a lot of bangers. Biggie had a way with words that few other rappers could match. Pretty good production too.
Better and much funnier than The Chrinic, but it’s still over an hour of “look at me, I got the biggest dick”. Diminishing returns.
I miss when you actually had to be able to rap to be a rapper
Loved the skill of the artistry here, less so the lyrical content. Still, glad I listened since I was a sheltered kid in the '90s.
An absolutely essential listen in the rap genre, Biggie is one of the GOATs. Gone too soon. Probably goes without saying that the lyrics haven't aged all that well, and you could argue it's a tad bloated, but Biggie does a perfect job placing the listener into his shoes (and bed, lol) on the mean streets of 1990s NYC. His flow is unmistakably solid.
A lot of the songs were generic and similar.
I've had pretty strong negative opinions of the other gangsta rap albums that have come up on this list, so I wasn't looking forward to listening to this today. I also read some of the reviews that mentioned significant misogyny and violence, things that I found problematic with those previous albums. I was very surprised when this started, as I really liked some of the first few songs. This felt different, not a glorification but more of an explanation. Of course some songs were way over the top and I didn't appreciate them as much, but then it would get back to some feelings of regret. The thought coming to mind is that there's a self-awareness here that I haven't found with other records in this genre. And Suicidal Thoughts kicked my ass. I also really liked his rapping style and found it very listenable as a whole. The Sean Combs of it is problematic, of course, as is some of the heavy handedness, but I'm now more interested to listen to more 90's hip hop albums without having the same preconceptions that I've had.
probs a 4.5 but so fun to listen to that it had to go up
The beats are thumping and the bars have flow. But the misogyny is overboard and the subject matter is dark, depressing and borderline frightening. He had talent but this was unpleasant. Doesn't help that Diddy played a huge role in this album and well, he's a rather unsavoury character.
Big Poppa loses it luster when you hear Diddy chime in …. Anyone got a remix without him in it yet?
It was fine
Biggie has amazing rap skills, just not a fan of the genre (and the content) Tracks to Track: Big Poppa
Instant klasyk w momencie wydania, który nie stracił nic ze swojej świeżości. Kawał fantastycznego rapu - flow, bity, delivery, serio topka. Plus Biggie miał bardzo charakterystyczny głos, który dodawał wszystkiemu kolejnej warstwy jakości. Z drugiej strony to wciąż gangsta rap, gatunek, którego nie lubię i który uważam za szkodliwy. I symptomatyczny dla upadku Ameryki. Dlatego na pewno nie mógłbym wystawić mu piątki. Ale jest parę kawałków, do których pewnie chętnie bym wrócił. Zresztą od dawna raz na jakiś czas słucham "Machine Gun Funk".
I was raised listening to 2pac and didn't listen to Biggie because of their beef. And i missed something huge (I mean music and not the artist himself).
„Ready to Die” to monumentalny debiut - brutalny, szczery i poetycki zapis życia człowieka, który zrozumiał, że jego historia jest większa niż on sam. Studium przetrwania, ambicji i autodestrukcji, które brzmi tak świeżo, jak w dniu premiery. Flow ciężkie jak beton, genialna produkcja - no arcydzieło. Najmocniejsze 5 na świecie.
Been a while since I listened to this one, but I was really feeling it overall. It was fine.
Skits are bad. His cadence is still one of the greatest even after all these years. The hit songs are great, but much of the album is overly misogynistic and crass. 3/5 Might listen again
Some good raps but honestly not something Id listen to all the time. Also heard a couple remixes that are way better than the originals on here.
10/10/25. Amazing storytelling and flows beautifully. This will forever be a classic for me and not many hip hop albums have topped this. Biggie is missed.
Prophetic
Ikke min favoritt av 90-talls-klassikerne.
Another debut that doesn't sound like a debut. The hits "Juicy" and "Big Poppa" are huge but thankfully most of the other tracks aren't lacking either. A few lines haven't aged well, but I don't know how received they were at the time. As such its a fantastic rap album and is an easy 4/5 for me.
Mostly the gangbanging, woman-banging stuff that is to be expected of the genre/era, but Suicidal Thoughts hits hard and seems like it's more of a real window into his head.
Pretty good. The sexual interludes are a bit scary to listen to at work 8/10
It was good, but after a while I just didn’t care that much.
Good rap album with subject matters that reflect from love to mental health.
While acknowledging its status as a highly regarded historical and cultural touchstone for hip-hop, I found "Ready to Die" difficult to engage with. Its' seventeen tracks, and nearly 70-minute runtime, felt excessive, and the overall musical experience, while competent, became monotonous. Ultimately, the album's vocal delivery, grim subject matter and lyrical content were simply not to my taste. Two stars. 1 "Intro" (2/5) 2 "Things Done Changed" (2/5) 3 "Gimme the Loot" (2/5) 4 "Machine Gun Funk" (3/5) 5 "Warning" (3/5) 6 "Ready to Die" (2/5) 7 "One More Chance" (2/5) 8 "#!*@ Me (Interlude)" (1/5) 9 "The What" (featuring Method Man) (2/5) 10 "Juicy" (2/5) 11 "Everyday Struggle" (2/5) 12 "Me & My Bitch" (1/5) 13 "Big Poppa" (3/5) 14 "Respect" (1/5) 15 "Friend of Mine" (2/5) 16 "Unbelievable" (2/5) 17 "Suicidal Thoughts" (2/5) Total - 34 Average - 2.00 127/1001 68/127 albums reviewed were new to me.
Obviously a stone cold classic.
The best thing this challenge has done for me is get me into liking rap and hip hop, and I understand that this is one of those rap albums you have to like but I found it largely boring. It was ok I guess but not what I like to hear in rap. It does things right it just isn’t for me