Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Hitta int lika hårt som i ungdomen men trots det en klassiker!!!
Claaaaaasic… might’ve been a 5 if this wasn’t the first time I heard it LOL
Väldigt stark 4 men albumupplevelsen störs verkligen av de tre spåren mellan Big Poppa och Suicidal thoughts, som varken har samma momentum som andra låtar eller passar in lika bra som resten. Sex-sketcher hjälper inte. Annars fullt med klassiker och ett snyggt narrativ av en av tidernas mest trollbindande rappare.
I men, I know who Biggie Smalls was. But I never really heard any of his stuff. It was kind of the same for Tupac, but "California Love" was on MTV all the time. So I had that at least. The songs felt like B.I.G. was a prizefighter, bobbing and weaving, dodging everything that was being thrown at him. The lyrical prowess on those first few songs were just amazing. The few interludes were a bit annoying, but at least they were few and far between. "Suicidal Thoughts" was disturbing. But apart from that, this was very solid. Every non-interlude track was intense. Rolling Stone called him "the greatest rapper that ever lived." I don't know if I would believe that, but he is definitely up there. Really good album.
I can recognize why songs like Big Poppa are considered great. I see the raw talent. Just not my favorite.
3.5/5. Pretty solid, I was not really blown away by it, however. 4 of the songs were not streaming on spotify.
Some of the skits were annoying, but Biggie is just so so good, and the line 'cleanest meanest penis' earns an instant 4 stars
Best Song: The What. If there was anyone who can fit Biggie's flow it's Method Man, who elevates this track. Worst Song: Fuck Me (Interlude). It's funny, but it means you can't just throw this album on with other people around Overall: Nobody did it like Biggie. His voice is butter, and you can feel the storytelling in each track. Surprisingly dark. Biggie toes the line between bravado and vulnerability, but he does it with such straightforward lyrics its equally easy to ignore the message and focus instead on the musicality of his flow and the relentlessly heavy, bouncing beats.
Didn't listen.
More mother fucking niggas, bitches and hoes than you can shake a stick at but it's got a visceral energy and some heavy beats. Enjoyable in spite of the dubious lyrical content.
I like the samples in the intro track: Superfly, Rapper's Delight--good stuff Things Done Changed -- I like it, good beat, like the anti-nostalgia lyrics Gimme the Loot - not as good, either musically or lyrically Machine Gun Funk - Like this one again, though the "Ike beat Tina" line is a bit yikes Warning - Ready to Die - this is a good one; great start and just keeps on going One More Chance - also like this Fuck Me-- k this one is a bit ridiculous The What -- forgettable Juicy -- obviously a classic Big Poppa -- nother classic Respect - pretty different, but kinda cool Suicide - Dark song, and pretty sad given where the story ends but hard to disentangle it from what actually happens ("I swear to god it feels like death is calling me") Album ends a bit lacklustre compared to the best songs, but I liked this a lot. Good stuff.
4.5
Un peu répétitif mais rempli de bangers Prefs: Gimme the Loot, Warning, Ready To Die, One More Chance, Juicy, Big Poppa, Friend of Mine, Suicidal Thoughts, Just Playing (Dreams) Moins pref: Respect
Great album
Biggie's flow is amazing and the beats are fantastic. Big Poppa is one of the greatest songs of all time. I'm not a huge fan of Hip Hop but this is a fantastic album. The interludes also made it real strange at times, I didn't need to hear what I really hope was simulated sex.
Such a great flow. Classic.
Good vibes. Hard beats and cinematic passages. I like it and could have it on at most times
From my perception Life After Death was always the primary Biggie album from my youth era. I can't say I have listened to this one straight through more than a small handful of times. Sadly, I've found it doesn't hold up for a few reasons, none of which is Biggie's talent, or the production. The content is repetitive, dated, misogynistic, and why does Puffy need to insert himself constantly? Let Biggie rap. That's all that's needed. The talent is undeniable though. Plus one star for that, back to 4.
Хороший рэп
Not exactly easy listening! Good beats.
Classic. Much more gangster than I remember. Really enjoyed it
Old skool feels.
Top flows and production mostly, but some filler and most the skits are shit.
The BIG. Word.
I knew nothing about this, never heard it . Really love the beats, the bass, the loops, the samples, the rapping, the music. A lot more chilled than I was expecting. But the lyrics are incessant particularly at the start of the album - motherfuckers, niggas, bitches, cocksuckers, dicks over and over but he was only 21.
Goodshit
On voit pourquoi biggie est une figure aussi emblématique du hip-hop. Album très solide, mais pas autant que j'aurais imaginé.
Fav song: Warning
Not my personal style of music. Interesting to listen to the begining of a movement over 30 years old. It seemed rather timeless to my ears.
8/10 it's dated in a lot of ways but the rhymes, beats, and storytelling are so great
Damn this would've been one of the best albums ever if they only kept the best 10 or so songs. Oh well. 8/10
One of the best hip hop albums ever made, has some parts your gonna want to skip on repeated listens but absolutely give it at least one full playthrough
I hate skits
If this album ended with "Big Poppa," this would be a 5 Star album with the caveat that it might be a bit long. But the tracks after that pad the length and aren't nearly as good what's in the first part of the record. Still, a very good classic.
If I don't listen too hard to the lyrics this is great. Great grooves, samples and beats. But I'm too square but all the talk about bitches and money and crime just seems sad and juvenile to me.
Not a rap fan but I enjoyed this a lot 4 stars. A little heavy...relentless even but worth the effort 4 stars
Pretty good gangster rap album.
There were aspects of this that I really liked and aspects that I didnt like as much. Im leaning a 4, but the rating might change later.
Не дослушал, не в настроение было
Much more explicit than I remembered or expected...
I am acutely aware that I did not engage with hip hop in the mid to late 90s. And I also know that there was a lot of good stuff released in that period - and Ready To Die is one of those. It's a bit of a concept album, telling the story of B.I.G.'s life. The album knows when to get heavy with the lyrics and when to get light. And I'm not sure why, but the track that is a messy ASMR BJ somehow works? There's also the new layer of meaning because B.I.G. is no longer with it and thoughts of undeadening feel tragic. But then, it is a product of its time - mentions of the WTC bomb and the risk of HIV root it in the mid 90s and we can take it that context, a time when Biggie was alive and thriving.
This is one of the reason why I started to listen to old-school hip-hop. A good album, with strong rhymes and lyrics and cool beats. Probably gonna come back to it. 4.5/5
I dig it
Notorious B.I.G est sans conteste le rappeur préféré des adolescents bourgeois en mal de street crédibilité. L'album est néanmoins excellent.
Great - hard to pick any true highlights as every track seems to have a nagging, insistent hookiness to it. Enjoyable word play, tasty samples and some decent guest spots - tip top all-round, really
The music was great. Still prefer Tupac though xD. The interludes were useless & shitty. He was clearly compensating for something ;)
It's sort of crazy that the two biggest hits on this album come relatively late in the track list, but every song is so good that you don't really miss it. There is a bit of the acting interludes that infested albums of this era (and the surrounding decades), but it's not too obtrusive (except for the end of Respect, fuck that slurping noise). Biggie's rap style still feels modern, despite being recorded nearly 3 decades ago. A true classic from an artist who recorded far too few songs 4/5
I obviously did not have the same childhood and adolescent experiences as Biggy did, but he makes me feel like a gangsta. Great rhymes, great beats. I appreciate this “old school” style rap that still incorporated real instruments (guitars and horns and such).
Just a great album. can't believe it's almost 20 years old. Only problem was the version I had from Spotify cut every swear word which somewhat f**ked up the listening experience.
Lyrical Poetry. Beautiful.
Svært at vurdere eftersom halvdelen af albummet er utilgængelig. Men virker godt, selvom det ikke helt er min stil
8/10 the best rapper ever
Some really good bars and tracks here, but the skits and constant bars about sex and mistreating women kinda put me off
Haven't heard this in like 20 years - it was a part of the soundtrack to being a ratty teenager in the late 90s, along with his second album (which was more popular). The interludes are a bit cheesy these days, but at the time I thought it was pretty hard lol. Good tunes. Favourite track: me & my bitch - just because I know it'd make modern society tug its collar and go "eeek" lol. Also, gotta kinda laugh that this album was called "Ready to Die" and that's exactly what happened just before his next album came out. 4/5.
A few songs missing, but this is still enjoyable. 90s hip-hop/rap has a certain sound that I like.
Misogyny aside, some bangers
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Gimme the loot, Reasy to die, Juicy, Big poppa, Who shot ya?
Normally, not my bag. But yeah, this was kinda my bag. I'd def listen again.
This has some absolute classics on it, but its also got some cringe lyrics on some of these tracks at this point in 2021.
I don’t care for this genre but I also don’t want to give a poor rating because I don’t care for an entire genre, hence the four star rating.
Undeniable album that takes you on a journey.
Not a rap fan but I enjoyed this a lot 4 stars
Skits were too overdone
Dit vind ik zijn beste album. Juicy beste song. Soms veel gepraat. Vind ik jammer maar mss eigen aan hiphop???
A quality autobiographical rap album. Good rhymes and dope beats throughout.
This East Coast hip hop album consists of legendary classics. Sadly the only real album by The Notorious B.I.G.
Great storytelling and flow.
not sure why you need to say MF that often, and part of the concept album flavor is lost on me... but it was really good
Il flow di notorious è spaventoso e ancora moderno. Trovo che dietro le storie di strada si nasconda una tristezza di notorious resa poi più esplicita nell’ultimo pezzo.
Surprised to enjoy this one. It tells the tale of how he ended up the way he did and is very powerful, at times, self deprecating and tongue in cheek. The swearing and misogyny may be too much for some, but it is all addressed in the Intro track.
Solid classic hiphop album, Big Poppa, Juicy, Machine gun Funk
Saved Prior: Big Poppa Off Rip: Things Done Changed, Gimme the Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Ready to Die, Everyday Struggle, Who Shot Ya?* Cutting Edge: None *Bonus track Overall Notes: Yeah this completely lives up to the hype. Biggie gets braggadocious, sexual, vulnerable, and menacing and sells every single one. King him. 4.5 rounded down.
classic
Classic
raw, pretty timeless, few duds but its a 4..
I have heard all (or most) of the songs before, but this was my first time listening to the album as a whole. Good stuff. I get the hype.
No tengo más que decir que sí me gustó bastante. Mood:
Solid album. Very chill much wow
Quiet the journey... aggressive, longing, sexual, defining a genre. Some very catchy samples.
get live mfs
massa mas tupac é melhor
TUPACSHAKUR
Well that was lighthearted. Wasn’t into him when this came out. I totally get why. But now... I’m not sure. I will listen again on a run day. Not sure if it’s a 3 or 4.
heard this before it's a classic nawm'sayin
Lead to listening to Born to Die. Good tracks, good beats, good flow.
Great interplay between the simple but alluring beats and Biggie's great flows. Lyrics are surpisingly hooky for what I expect a typical rap album to be, there's the usual boasting and explicit content but it's delivered with such authenticity that you can't help but be drawn in.
Fav Song: Juicy
Very classic hip hop album. Juicy is a big hit ("it was all a dream"). Strong title track.
-Smooth flows, dodgy themes, no filler tracks.
Kanske en 5:a om det inte varit för alla töntiga interludes som inte bidrar med något.
Tämä on mennyt multa aikoinaan täysin ohi vaikka toki nimensä ja maineensa on tuttu. Yllättävän hyvä vaikka ysärijenkkiräppi ei taas ihan sitä ominta musaa ole. 3/5
I was disappointed by this album as I was expecting a lot more. I like a lot of rap, but just didn’t hit for me. Yeah, the grooves are cool, as is his style, and there’s a couple of songs on here that I really like. However, most of the time the lyrics are just overly vulgar. I don’t mind swearing, lord knows that I actually have plenty of songs in my personal library with a lot of bad language. That said, with how much Biggie swears in certain songs, it seems like he just didn’t have anything better to say. That, in turn, makes this album a bit inadequate. It’s not awful, but it’s also not great.
I do love his style, but there's some pretty forgettable or straight up cheesey songs among the gems. Also the misogyny hasn't aged well and needs to be dialed back several notches in order for me to even get through it all.
"Intro" really was a hell of a intro, playing Curtis Mayfield, Sugar Hill Gang and Audio 2 whilst a drama of voices runs over the top. Really cool stuff. By "Gimme the Loot", I already realise there isn't too much to say for this album musically. Backing tracks are always interesting despite their simplicity and Biggie's flows are always incredible; guy was truly a world class rapper with his words ringing clean despite the delivery speed. A lot of 'hard lines' in here and great metaphors, but... The only big draw back, as has been laid out so much in reviews that have come back before this one, is the misogyny throughout. Hate speech of any kind shouldn't be side lined just because "the flows are lit, bro". The audible sex stuff also pretty cringe, no matter who you are. Favourite tracks were: "Gimme the Loot", "Machine Gun Funk", "The What", "Juicy", "Everyday Struggle", "Me & My Bitch (admittedly, I hate myself for this one. Sonically, it's great), "Big Poppa" and "Respect" (those Jamaican female vocals from Diana King are sick). Something happen with the beats after this point for me; felt totally off.
This may not be exactly my kind of music BUT, I can appreciate good music without necessarily enjoying it altogether. I think this was a good album, good progression and great quality, but for the fact it doesn't really resonate with me in a way I'd love I'll rate it a little lower than I believe it to be.
Standouts Things Done Changed Machine Gun Funk Big Poppa
When I started this challenge I found out that list of 1001 albums is often criticized, among other things, for its lack of hip-hop. Apparently, I'll have to retract that, since I've been seeing it almost exclusively lately. Here's another legendary album, the debut and only lifetime one by the Notorious B.I.G., a major figure in the genre in every sense of the word. Why this album has become legendary is something I personally don't quite understand. Obviously, as often happens, the artist's sudden death played a role, but otherwise, it's a typical rap album of the era, depicting the traditional path of a black gangster: from the cradle to the streets, picking pockets of goofs, dealing opiates, and conquering the big stage. Yes, it's done with respect for the roots, with lots of interesting samples, but the album starts to falter towards the end; it could have been shortened by a third. However, I had no desire to turn it off. Give it a three stars and move on.
I thought this would be much better. As an album guy, Biggie is a singles artist. These skits are as bad as everyone says.
I appreciate Biggie's skill as a rapper. Juicy and Big Poppa hold up. Respect was pretty good. I appreciate the influence the album had but overall the album doesn't hold up. There is a tighter album in here if it was brought under 40 minutes.
pas mal j'aime bien la production mais pas trop mon style
It’s provably a ridiculous hill to die on, but I get really tired of the extended amount of sex braggadocio rapping from Biggie. It just gets boring after a while. He’s got a way with words and the beats are great but damn I’m tired of hearing about his exploits.
Не побачив я тут генія. Просто реп під місцями непогані біти. Хоча в останній третині альбом сильно просідає. Оцінка: низька-середня 6
I think this is a high 3 for me. Enjoyed it, but highly uncomfortable with moans and sounds of a BJ in my airpods at the gym / at work
3/5 Favorite Song: Things Done Changed
This is total 90s hip hop/rap gold. Incredibly misogynistic, full of expletives and with interludes of domestic violence, drive by shootings and sexual acts. I feel like biggie/Notorious BIG/Christopher Wallace is not the nicest of people. But I feel like he also knew this when reflecting on his life in "Suicidal Thoughts". It is a classic rap album but it is very much of its time. Even more so than Snoop Dogg, and that is saying something. Glad I listened, but not 100% sure I would return. (2.500)
I hated this so much.
I really like the sound of his rapping. If there was a less explicit artist that was the same vibe and sound, I think I would love it. Call me a virgin ears, but it’s how I feel. I don’t like the intro, interlude, or gun sounds. 3.5 Who can I listen to that’s similar but more G rated?
Biggy came on after my time, so I was never really exposed. I can see why people love him. Not an easy listen though.
Good beats but the lyrics are very typical of every rapper: I'm a sex god, nobody's better than me, my rhymes are epic. Honey, douche and bush do not rhyme. Still, Big Poppa is a banger.
Not my favorite BIG album
puffy and easy mo bee production sucks this needs to be said, but biggie is too fkin good even in shitty beats
Yeah I really liked this one despite feeling a little sick from some of the lyrics. Listening to the intense sexual sounds through my headphones in the morning didn't help I don't think. Favourites: Things Done Changed Ready to Die
I think it's a 3.5 really but I'll go 3. The highs are very high, and there are at least three all time hip hop hits on there. They both sound better but mainly the lyrical content is just more interesting. But some of the album tracks and interludes are hard work, and the content is a bit dreary (you like fucking Biggie, we get it).
me rei kleta, pero puta las letras malas wn
This was good
Classic solid hip hop album innit. The singles are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. All 90s hip hop was riddled with skits but they’re just annoying. Always been a pac man myself
Really enjoyed most of it, but some of the lyrics were a little too much.
This album for me comes a couple days after Ice Cube, and the difference in quality is astounding. B.I.G. Has better delivery, better beats, better instrumentation, better lyrics, and let’s say… about 30% less misogyny (which isn’t super great but at least a small step in the right direction. The downside to the album is all the sexy time interludes. Maybe I’m a prude, but it was weird and off putting. It killed a great track like Respect.
More of a 2pac man myself
I can't relate and it's too vulgar for my taste.
like it for the most part minus all the diddy and negativity about women!!!
A very uncomfortable time capsule.
hmm kind of up and down for me. a lot of the hits, eg "big poppa", do nothing w me, and i could've done without a few of the interludes of biggie having sex, but i really liked "suicidal thoughts" + "who shot ya", esp in connection w each other. "just playing (dreams)" REALLY nice closing track. all in all probably preferred the back half of the album.
3/6
- started out really cool listening to someone give birth, then turned into a lot of hate speech against women and that was hard to listen to - overall a lot of terrible words against women - loved the songs I already know like juicy and big poppa - i really like 'respect' first time listening - 'fuck me' did turn me on :/
I guess Intro is literally the 'birth' of Notorious BIG, a life story and the music that shaped him First impressions are that compared to other Gangsta Rap, this has much more stripped back instrumentals - also lower in the mix so the raps are front and centre. Different rapping style too, more like Public Enemy meets West Coast g-funk. More sample/loop driven than say Tupac Ready to Die reminds me of Ice Cube, with that gentle higher register funk guitar riff and the slower tempo Some of the beats here also remind me of Gorillaz later, why? Use of simple, perhaps even preset beats with short samples and loops on top? Two references to Tina Turner and Ike? What's the obsession? Best track - Ready to Die, Juicy 3 stars - it does sit in an interesting intersection of many styles but it's not technically mind-blowing or well-crafted
3/5 not my favourite, not a lot of variation and no song stands out, but still really cool. i like the jazz elements and the general vibe and would listen again
Loved: Respect Liked: Things Done Changed, Machine Gun Funk, Juicy, Everyday Struggle Okay: Warning, Ready To Die, Unbelievable Yeah, not so much: Gimme The Loot, One More Chance, The What, Big Poppa, Suicidal Thoughts What's the point?: Intro, The Interlude, Me & My Bitch, Friend of Mine Probably by average a 2 but I'm going with a 3. The good to great songs carry more weight, imo.
Got some great song, but it's a bit too long, a bit too big, not to mention all the (sex) skits…
Pocas veces me he sentido tan incómodo con un disco. Comienza con una familia peleando (lo tuve que saltar), en algún momento hay un track donde están cogiendo 2 minutos, luego en otro hay una chupada... No pude empatizar con nada y no entendí las letras. Ni modo
Pretty decent but a long album and not one for listening to at work without headphones.
i honestly do not see the point of having sound clips of people fucking or giving a blow job in the middle of these albums. its across a number of rap albums from this era and i have no time for it. it detracts from the album for me. It certainly detracted from this, which is a pity because there was some good flow on the album. all that said, I am not going to go and revisit this again. If I wanted to listen to rap there would be a plethora of albums i would choose ahead of this. One more chance was the standout track. 2.5 stars
tipico big poppa, nada super mega bueno, el disco completo está bien
*1994. *Big Poppa is the only song I knew, plus a few bits here and there. *WILD album. Sex and violence everywhere. Always. Eep! *Definitely kept my attention the whole way through. Wouldn’t revisit though. *Probably poignant for the time, but feels weird now. RATING - 7/10
A few standout tracks but overall, and I know this is blasphemy to some, but Biggie isn’t my favorite.
B eye g
I don't know. Feels like another one where the narratives about the album are more interesting than the album itself. I don't think his rhymes are all that. It's terribly misogynistic. The skits suck. Somewhere in there, sure, there's some good east coast hip hop, but I can totally leave it.
Grabben gillar sex lite väl mycket, men han kan rappa
Side 1: : Flow is pretty untouchable - male machismo untouchable by anyone else. Maybe the heights of the gangster album genre and yet - it kinda feels like a slog. Beats and samples are pretty uninspired and the sex interlude is well...if he hadnt been killed, not sure he'd be in the same category ppl hold him in today? Side 2: Whoa some damn good hits on there....and theres the BJ at the end of the song....
4/5 minus cringe skits
I really didn't need several interludes of a fat black man having sex
Rv
I enjoy the storytelling and his flows. Don't always love the subject matter, and sometimes it feels like smoothness is so prioritized in the vocals that they pass right by me rather than draw me in.
If you look past the violent and somewhat sexist songs, this isn’t the worst. I like his voice at least.
2.5
an album that truly suffers from size. each song could've been cut by 15-20 seconds and been drastically improved. especially when they repeat the same verse for a minute-thirty.
synth line on Big Poppa for MVP. some tracks i never want to hear again. half-dozen more lines my partner has been quoting at my for the past 18 years. 3.5
Definitely a vibe. Liked this. Reminds me of a better time in the 90s
It had its moments
Some great songs, but nothing that would really excite me. Nothing bad about it either
Eh. Biggie's voice sounds like its struggling to be heard over the repeat-o-matic beats and when he does come through, I'm not sure he has that much to say.. He's an excellent avatar for hip-hop, looks great on a t-shirt, but he never quite grabbed me as an artist.
So smooth and a unique style. Just so filthy. Constantly. Would like to thin he would've evolved if was still with us. I hate the rap album interludes or this would rate higher.
loved it very much, but theres way too much misogynistic lyrics
This is good but not great. I might need to give it another listen. 🤔 but too long and too many skits.
good beats and flow, skits are butt, too much dick talk, a bit too long
Intro - 3/5 Things Done Changed - 3.5/5 Warning - 4/5 One More Chance - 3.5/5 F*** Me (Interlude) - 2/5 Juicy - 4/5 Everyday Struggle - 4.5/5 Me & Me Bitch - 4.5/5 Pig Poppa - 4/5 Respect - 3/5 Friend of Mine - 3/5 Unbelievable - 3/5 Suicidal Thoughts - 3/5
Probably the best example of a great but overrated album.
Bra inflytelserik rap med de sedvanliga tveksamheterna för genren.
The lyrics were problematic (par for the course for 90s rap) but the beats and flow were amazing. It would have been a 4 but only giving it a 3 because of the horrible interludes/skits
not much into oldschool rap
3 de 5 Álbum aclamado por su cruda narrativa autobiográfica y la difícil vida en Brooklyn, donde las letras narran historias de violencia, supervivencia y pobreza. Relevante la capacidad de Biggie para cambiar entre un estilo de rap amenazante a otro más relajado y carismático. A destacar: Track 3 - Gimme The Loot Track 6 - Ready to Die Track 10 - Juicy Track 11 - Everyday Struggle Track 16 - Unbelievable
6/10
is that a curtis mayfield sample? nice don't mind me, just sitting at my desk in the office listening to biggie smalls rapping about drugs and gangs and violence and murder. i do appreciate this list exposing me to hip hop & rap. not genres i've ever explored on my own, but i can get behind this. i'd rather listen to this than grunge. s/o to sardines getting mentioned by The Notorious B.I.G. that was such a long album. i enjoyed it, but by 3/4 thru i just wanted it to be over.
Biggie raps amazingly, and he is witty, cutting, vivid. The best works are his grim accounts of poverty, crime, despair: clever, bleakly funny, and painful. The skits suck. And so much of this misogynist crap sucked then and sucks now, whether one claims its ironic role play or not.
More potential here than what is actualised. There’s so much sadness and despair layered in the stupid bravado—the emotions are moving and the flow is great, but the music isn’t always up to par.
This was ok. He definitely is a talented rapper/lyricist. Of all of the early 90's hip hop, this may have been the darkest I've heard so far. Too dark for my tastes but it's definitely decent.
By the age of 22, Christopher Wallace had already lived quite the life. By naming his debut Ready to Die, the Brooklyn rapper bluntly encapsulated both his fearless, take-no-prisoners lyrical style and his perpetual sixth sense that death could come for him at any time. While hardly the first to rap about the pleasures and pitfalls of drug dealing, The Notorious B.I.G. elevated the form to a divine art of brutal honesty. “I remember when he was doing the title track, I was a little disturbed,” Easy Mo Bee, who produced several of the album’s standouts, tells Apple Music. “‘You’re saying you’re ready to die? What’s up, Big?’ He told me, ‘I’m going through a lot...I’m tired of being up there hustling, my mom is sick, I have a baby on the way.’ He was going through a lot of p
Everything's awesome except the fucking lyrics (literally).
not a big fan of hip-hop, but this was kinda fire
It was alright, this record can really drag though
7/10
Honestly expected this to be better. So much unnecessary skits filling in space
This was fun but too long, I also docked a star for the intro. I enjoyed the song with Method Man. That was my first time hearing that one and it’s a bop.
Ok rap album. Second half is better than first. Too many skits. Beats ok a bit funky. Talented rapper, doesn’t have much to say.
Я не любитель хип хопа, но изредка может понравиться. Этот альбом в целом понравился, но песен многовато на один альбом, под конец устал. Gimme the loot, Big poppa и Machine gun funk понравились больше всего. Музыка иногда слишком зациклена и минималистична, редко впечатляет. Читка хорошая, некоторые рифмы классные.
There are some undeniable classics and great songs on here, but there are also some terrible bars and skits. If you get rid of a few songs and the moaning interlude, it would be a much better album. 7/10
respeto, sí, pero eres un hortera meter esos interludios porno
3 - good album but a bit too long
Not my favorite music but I am also not exactly the clientele
Some great songs, like Big Poppa. But man the skits and interludes ruin it
I was so excited to dig into this but its aged pretty badly. Some high points but can't give it more than 3/5
The album has some of the best hip-hop music and Biggie's flow and rapping is great, but the content gets a bit much. Also, the skits are horrible.
Ok
not my style but i still like it
Good album. A bit long. Very 90's lyric style.
some of these songs are probably in the top 10 of songs you’d never wanna accidentally play out loud in public
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.
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.
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.
just not my style
The hits Juicy and Big Poppa are the obvious standouts. I can always do without the skits/interludes in between.
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.
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.
I can appreciate aspects of the music here, but the misogynistic content ultimately meant I couldn't finish the album.
A couple great songs embedded in an awful album.
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".
A couple bangers but were the interludes necessary
There's some good stuff here, but so much of it has aged badly. The skits and diddy makes it harder to enjoy.
To hard for me, but groove is great
Classic 90s gangsta rap album from Biggie. He was great and gone too soon. Highlights: "Juicy" and "Big Poppa"
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.
It is rap.
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.
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.
Great rhymes and flow I guess, but the skits and the sexism soured this for me.
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
Quite a few songs unavailable on Spotify. But some big bangers, but quite a few duds too.
Nostalgic. Brings me back to my childhood.
Pretty good, might listen to Big Poppa agian.
I felt objectified the entire time, but still iconic
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
Algumas faixas interessantes
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.
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:
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
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.
3.5 - good songs with some skippable parts
Some tunes but what the hell was going on with the interludes
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Mid, with some bangers like gimme the loot
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.
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.
Bem diferente do que costumo escutar, mas muito bom!!!!!!!
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.
Nie do końca rozumiem jego fenomen, ale chyba po prostu to nie są moje klimaty - jednak słychać zupełnie inny typ hip-hopu niż obecnie
I recognize game. Not always my vibe but I dug it.
Eh I’m more of a west coast gal but still some good ones I knew and discovered some new ones.
-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
i had fun but it’s not my favourite
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.
catchy but i couldn't get over the outrageously misogynistic lyrics
mi aspettavo di più però
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. ***
no fui fan
Some great songs but too much filler
Classic raps, bad interludes, I'm still not a hip hop fan
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)
not for me
Im not sure I think this is what others think it is. But it does have some high highs in it
Great album But I really did not need to listen to moaning for a whole song lol
Good beats, skillful rapping... ...a whole song bragging about his dick followed by a track of sex noises? Casual misogyny? Yeah, gross.
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.
Good verses, but not my favorite rap album.
Good album but not my thing.
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
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.
first listening...nothing new lots of expletives and some nice rhythm
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
Middle of the road hip-hop with the ingredients for something amazing
He says the word penis too much.
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.
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.
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.
Very few songs did I enjoy, but rap really isn't my thing. Still, solid 3.
IT’S ENOUGH SKITS
Like his second album more
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.