Reviews (page 7 of 14)
Great album. The highlights are really good and the regular songs are still really great and Biggie's flow is amazing.
Great album. Little Simz is a technically accomplished rapper but it is the producer Inflo who really makes this stand out. Little Simz raps like it was the year 2000, and she explicitly references Jay-Z in the first track in the best line of the album. It somehow feels fresh with the old school It’s obvious she is a fan of the turn of the century New York hip hop. The lyrics are alright but not interesting enough for five stars. The production by Inflo though is definitely five stars. Dynamic, organic and banging.
4.25
Effortless flow, sticky production, incredible rhyme schemes. The album runs a thick 76 minutes but never really gets old, which is a feat for me particularly with a hip-hop record. The sinister, braggadocious vibe is fantastically well-realised The only real complaint is the pretty rampant and graphic misogyny - it's pervasive and really limits the enjoyment of a lot of songs. Any mention of sex is so unimpressive, unsexy, and repetitive. And I never want sex skits!! It's gross!! Who are they for??? Fave track: Things Done Changed
A number of good tracks, some excellent rhymes and good beats. The rhymes lacked the finesse of other artists but it was a pleasant listen. The quality felt like it decreased as it got more explicit, turns out the last thing I want is to hear about biggie fuckin. Stand out tracks: gimme the loot, juicy, warning
Big, he was a great rapper great lyricist no I’m not always impressed with the production which seems to favor the music over his rapping… I don’t every case on this album but in some of the cases and surprising in hindsight. But overall great hip-hop album.
Hey!! Diego has a shirt of this picture. I've been actually liking old rap lately. This will be a good one. Good stuff! I'll probably be revisiting this one. A couple songs had some sexy sensual stuff! ;)
I don't know if my opinion is totally skewed by nostalgia....but this album RIPS from start to finish.
Couldn't be less. Not usually the biggest fan of older hip-hop/rap, but pretty good. A little repetitive
DISCAZO!! me encantó y eso que nunca escucho este género pero bárbaro te amamos biggie. 9/10
I really wanna despise this album for the lyrics, but, on the other hand, it's a fascinating time capsule with some great sounds. A weak 4
1. Intro: intro with different snippits of narrative. 2. Things Done Changed: great flow and beat. His voice is nostalgic. 7.5/10 3. Gimme the Loot: again flow and beat are crazy. The change ups are great. 8/10. 4. Machine Gun Funk: banger. 8.5/10 5. Warning: cant say anything else than banger. 8/10. Rest of my ratings were lost. - favorite tracks: gimme the loot and juicy.
i'm really depressed today this was a good album to wallow in :) consider me READY TO DIE (fav tracks: gimme the loot, one more chance, juicy, big poppa)
Pretty fuckin' great.
4/5
Machine Gun Funk Ready To die
Biggie is one of the greatest.
Incredible beats and music. Love the bass. Strong lyrics and lotta catchy songs. No wonder it’s renowned and highly praised. 8.5/10
I haven’t listening to this album front to back since high school. I feel like I enjoyed it even more now. The interludes are a slight detractor for me given that they don’t feel to add much to the album. Otherwise a phenomenal album
Wished I had read the context of this album before diving in. Listened to the first half with only one earbud as I rode my mountain bike. Then the second on the speakers as I drew on my ipad. Some classic bangers and amazing lyrics for sure. But the misogyny is hard to listen to. It's a pretty dark/negative low vibe album overall. But I love the way Biggie raps. Will probably give it one more close listen.
First listen, very fun album. My loss for coming to it so late.
Incredibly produced. Ultra-violent. Art imitates life imitates art.
Like most rap albums as time goes on it gets boring no matter how good the songs are because there’s just too many tracks. I liked it though 4/5.
Biggie had such a unique voice. His flow is unmatched, and the backing tracks groove. Really enjoyable listen. This is the first one in a while that I felt truly belongs on this list.
Deep roots of a whole lot of modern hip hop here. As with Tupac though, it's hard to separate the music from the senseless and unnecessary young death. The nihilistic shadings of a lot of the lyrics a bit too prescient.
A good classic rap album. Some amazing beats and lyricism in this one. Some strange songs and interludes sprinkled in though. There's a rare glimpse at a rapper's vulnerabilities in "Suicidal Thoughts" and I thought that was a pretty powerful piece. Some good flow and storytelling for sure, and I can really see why Biggie's assassination shook the world of hip hop so hard. Honestly there's not all that much here that I'd personally come back to, besides the classics like Juicy and Big Poppa, but there's no doubt that this belongs on the list. Favourite: Juicy
Onhan tää tosi kova. Melodista ja funkahtavaa ollakseen itärannalta. Ja biggien räbäily on tietty aika mint. Harmi, kun skitit on niin typeriä, mutta onneksi niitä on vähän.
Some classic tracks.
classic one
Yeah nice album, a little bit underwhelmed. But the flows and production were really nice. Just not fully my style. solid 4.4 out of 10.
Ooh I love a concept album and this one which represents Biggie's life from birth to death while he is still alive is very appealing. This is obviously a huge influential giant in hip hop showcasing Biggie's unique rap style which is memorable clear and catchy. I love him as an artist and a rapper and this is a pinnacle of his short snapshot in time of fame as he was murdered shortly after his second album was released. Biggie's music is a window into a world I will probably never fully understand, a grim life of crime and hardship but also the contrast of debauchery and celebration. So I find it very fascinating, I also love the grim topics being slotted into this up-beat catchy music. It's a very honest and raw account of an extreme life. Fascinating, impressive, exciting and interesting. I also love this work with insane amounts of samples, it's very cool! Almost like a musical version of a collage which you draw/paint your own work over and between. I don't mind for once about how long this album is because it's the amazing story-telling skills which keep even me hooked somehow for over an hour.
I really enjoyed this - its true that Biggie Smalls has a unique style and cadence to his rapping. Its really fun and easy to listen to. Not sure how I felt about all the sex stuff that was in there, graphic noises etc!! Not to be a prude just feels unnecessary when the rest of the album is so great.
There’s a reason they call him Big Poppa, because daddy delivers every time. I can’t give this a 5, but it feels wrong putting this and Step In the Arena on the same pedestal, because it’s evident they are not. I’ll just repent my sins when I go to hell.
A truly legendary album. It was a bit awkward when someone walked past my room and Fuck Me (Interlude) was playing. I got weird looks. I also had a raging boner which made the interaction even more awkward. For that, 4 stars.
Excited to see if my middle school self that listened to two songs of PAC and two songs of biggie before deciding that biggie is better was correct... Yeah he was. This made me appreciate Diddy a shit ton more tbh. Found the beginning to be eh at first but the bottom like 80% of the album was great. Gimme a half star dammit, 4.5 prolly? Idk what a 5 is for me tbh, unsure if I'm giving it that half star for the album's significance or because I like songs about slanging dick that have sex noises
Still hits hard, the lyrics, the samples, classic
Second half of this album goes absolutely insane.
Probablemente uno de los discos más influyentes de los 90.
Brilliant, funny, fresh, hard, cool, well pitched 90s heydey hip hop. Musically sophisticated, lyrically smart, thematically so stupid in a light life affirming way. Not lamely political, not gratuitous, not egotistical, simply clever. Biggy absolutely shits on Tupac. This album is very good
Another hip-hop classic that matt will hate and or not listen to. The skits do bring this down a star but no denying Biggie had one of the best flows and deliveries of any rapper living or dead.
I really like his flow, the samples are great.
East coast nihilism stands in sharp contrast to Pac's west coast existentialism.
Hard to believe it's nearly 30 years old because the production, flow and storytelling is better than 99% of anything that followed it.
I really enjoyed the vibe overall, at first I was scared because the album is 1h long but it turns out that even though the prods are boom bap they manage to keep being interesting. A couple of skips but overall I had a really really good time listening to it. Several classics like "big poppa" and "give me the loot" and I really enjoyed the groove of "Friend of Mine". I think I really like biggie, and he really likes sex. Solid 4.25 / 5
Incredible tracks in the album... Incredible lyricism and and really top notch listening experience. Weird skits.... Some forgettable songs and some good yet not perfect feats make it a solid 4/5... But I thought I would put more
Last thing I felt like today was some epic hardcore hip-hop cd, so I wasn’t really looking forward to this. But whaddya know - this is a classic. I don’t know how he pulls that off, but he does. It’s in the music, the beats, the samples but most of all his words. What a storyteller. The first 3 trax knocked me out - Intro, Things Done Changed & Gimme The Loot. Much to my surprise, it never gets boring. Absolute highlight for me is Diana King’s vocals on the reggae-influenced Respect. You do get a bit sick of “bitches” & “motherfuckers”, over & over, but this is the context for it, I suppose. I love Randy Newman’s summary - one of the best records ever made…the first cut says “Let’s stop killing each other”- and then the rest of the record is all about people killing each other! It’s the damnedest thing.”
Great starter album for the legend biggie smalls.
Solid
Rough and unwavering in its lyrics and skits. A classic that represents hiphop at its peak. Great beats and great flow
Entretenido, explícito 🤐😳🙊
Looking around then nodding my head
Bombastic and proud, with production ahead of its time and great bars. Classic
4.5/5
Never listened to this whole album. Biggie is masterful, and the trick on Gimme The Loot of Biggie rapping with himself as two different characters is inspired. The production still holds up, but the skits are pretty dire and definitely skippable. I don't know enough about hip hop to know why skits are such a staple on albums, but this would be much better served by cutting them down and making this a leaner and much more hard-hitting album.
Except for the frequent mention of pagers, this feels like it could have been released any time in the last 30 years. It doesn't sound dated, though several of the lyrics perhaps are.
.
There are some really good songs on this album. Juicy and Big Poppa are the best songs. The sole reason this is not a 5 is because it was 72 minutes long and that felt like it should have ended earlier.
Notorious is Notorious for a reason.
Amazing, not the biggest fan of the whole women treatment
Grimy, Hip Hop, Gangsta, Boastful, Crime, Philosophical
Lyrical skill shines through some dodgy content, typical of the time making this one of the more digestable rap albums I've come across on this thing...I grew up loving rap, bit time has not been kind to some of its obsessions and attitudes. What once sounded like rebellion and romanticised streetwise, sometimes blurs into being a bit of an arsehole with few redeemable qualities. Biggie at least owns his shittiness, with one track making it clear he knew he was headed to hell. Despite all his misogyny, a liveability shines through that suggests a bit more is going on, his seemingly prescient awareness of his own mortality reveal insecurity behind the bravado. Behind all this the backing tracks are a rich treat to be explored.
On par med public enemy fast annan vibe, bättre än Tupac, synd att alla låtar inte kunde spelas på Spotify...
First time after all these years I actually listened to Biggie. Entertaining? yes. But harrowing, too. A guy talking about living with so much violence, with so much bravado, but still a tremendous feeling of worthlessness and self-loathing. A tough listen but a great one too.
Just a classic! From the intro skit time lapsing his growth to the themes carried through to his fictional death that leads into all that carried out in the real world, this is a powerful album from a powerful MC. No one can top his flow. RIP Biggie!
Very familiar with this album was a ex gf's favorite so interesting to hear it 20 years on
Some all timers on here. Like most 90s rap albums I could go without the skits. Also feel like all the remixes and mashups I’ve heard have kinda ruined some of these songs for me.
Biggie
5 minutes in and no rapping yet. Is this a hip-hop album or a vaudeville play set in the projects? Would’ve been a masterpiece without all the talking.
There is something about 90s rap that stands out from modern rap. Suck a good album.
Straightforward, down to earth, and fragile. Literally B.I.G. in every sense of the word. This IS gansta rap.
Very varied. Has content.
Amazing journey through birth through death
dood. this album was good but like. stop having sex and getting blow jobs in the middle of your songs. this guy is obviously dripping with talent though. really enjoyed this album.
4.5
Some absolutely timeless stuff on here. Keeping as a 4 cause im reserving 5s for new or all time favorites of MINE, that said, this could easily be a 5
Coming as it did after my highschool pivot to metal, missed this on release. Pretty good overall, though the sexual stuff is over the top for an old man.
Misogynistic and violent, but such is the way of the streets. The death obsession is appropriate. Good record.
Add it to the list of firsts
Very good, not my favorite 90s hip hop, but it's very classic 👍
I listened to some of it and it sounds great
Sex, Drugs and Music. Represents the life of a large group of people during that time which, I think, is why it resonated so we'll with the rap community. The tunes are west coast style, fairly repetitive but easy to groove with. Lyrics hit a sweet spot.
I like this one more than most rap albums of the same time. Still not totally my music, but have to respect the production and lyrics.
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop 4/5 Three years before his untimely murder, Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., released one of the best rap records to ever come out of the state of New York. Ready to Die, Biggie's only album he released before he was shot and killed, is an absolute blast. A perfect mixture of lyrical prowess, crass humor, and boom-bap beats, Biggie took hip hop to exciting new places with this one. Familiar themes of cultural divisions, drug dealing, and violence intermingle with themes of introspection and suicide, with the album beginning with a hearbeat fading in and ending with a heartbeat fading away. It serves as a grim foreshadowing beyond anything Biggie does in this project, and also as a reminder to everybody listening that life is too short and too precious. The two major hits on this album, Juicy and Big Poppa, don't make their way to us until about halfway through the album. Before we're met with the familiar, tracks like Gimme the Loot, One More Chance, and the title track Ready to Die, give us perfect glimpses into the early childhood and adult life of Biggie Smalls. Eloquent verses flow over the hottest new instrumentals the streets had to offer, with driving rhythms and loud, active percussion. Once the two mega-singles make their way to us, their impact is magnified with how magnificently they fit within the tracklist, elevating these already well-known tracks to new heights. While the 77-minute runtime may not have been necessary (even the pre-remaster's 69-minute runtime is pretty long), and while the sex skits are quite dated and a little uncomfortable, everyone involved finds new and interesting ways to keep the narrative flow going, and Biggie's artistic statement here is one of the biggest and boldest of the decade. Great record.
juicy
One of the greatest of all time, nimble word play, erotic lyrics and a unmatched charisma. My favs were Juicy and Big poppa. Only reason it’s not a 5 is because it’s seems they are better bars than actual songs, and also sex interludes?
The beats, flow and storytelling on this are exceptional. The misogyny and puerile attitude to sex is a little harder to swallow, if not particularly unexpected. Loved the flow on Gimme The Loot, the guest vocal by Method Man on The What and the honesty on Suicidal Thoughts.
An excellent album
Just great. I was really amazed (7/10) FT: Juicy, Respect, Big Poppa
It was really interesting listening to this- it's another world and I'm glad to be living in a (relatively) safe boring suburb. The swearing and sex references kinda add to the whole impression. It's an eye-opener. The biggest tracks are R&B raps and are ok but I like the bits at the beginning- like uncut rough bits. Whatever you think of him as a human being he was a gifted storyteller.
veisla
brabo
so good obviously
Things Done Changed is a song for history books. Gimme The Loot is a rad song. Biggie's flow was very beat and rhythm focused. There is a great sense of where a word falls in relation to the beat and he can choose where on it he falls. His story telling is crystal clear, though I don't really find the story he's telling all that interesting halfway through. Method Man's appearance on The What is killer. Juicy is a stellar track. Everyday Struggle starts to show the cracks in the character of Biggie, which is the drama his story telling. It's just not interesting to listen to someone tell a story about how great he is at sex or whatever, see One More Chance. There is no tension, no struggle. It becomes more of an advertisement than a story. Big Poppa is a huge single. Friend Of Mine is kind of a trash song. Suicidal Thoughts is the fall of a titan, and is the only proper way to end this album.
Zeer veel bekende details in de nummers, bijna perfecte klassieke hiphop
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.
never heard before (apart from Juicy & Big Poppa) several songs I'd listen to again, really liked this one but what is Biggie's problem with Tina Turner?? also docked -1 star for the unpleasant discovery that Diddy was reponsible for the production I was enjoying so much
Ready to Die is like if you made one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time and then decided to just add 6 songs about how much you hate women. Just for the laughs. Lets start with the "one of the greatest" parts of the album. Biggie ofc has head-noddingly catchy flow, an uncanny ability to rhyme, and a distinctly enjoyable voice that make pretty much all of the actual vocals on this song great to listen to. Despite his heavy alignment with East Coast hip-hop, I actually felt like his flow was a bit reminiscent of Ice Cube at times. A good thing to be reminiscent of. The album starts with his birth, ends with his death (prophetic), and catalogues his transition from a life of crime to being a successful artist. He mentions his mom not being able to feed him or give him money several times, pushing him towards crime to sustain himself, and how crime becomes an Everyday Struggle (which is probably the best song on the album). He gets remarkably vulnerable about how this affects his mental state, commenting on how he doesn't wanna live any more, how he thinks he deserves to go to hell on Suicidal Thoughts, how good it feels to escape that life on Juicy. The vulnerability is very contained though, and at no point on the album is he vulnerable about why he hates women. Or rather, on "Friend of Mine", a song with a great beat that is ruined by its shitty subject, he talks about how its okay to hate women because they'll cheat on you! Yeah! On One More Chance he mentions how his dick (the whole song is about him fucking women) will... shatter your bladder. NOT SEXY. SOUNDS PAINFUL. Also mentions how he doesnt eat pussy anymore. loser behavior. Me and My Bitch is another song about women, and this time its not about sex! mostly. Of course, in this relationship he's describing, he very casually mentions beating her, and never refers to her as a "woman," just a bitch. HIS bitch, to be specific. Also she DIES at the end and he really doesn't seem that torn up about it? Not to mention the great opening line about how she's so hot, he'll suck her daddy's dick. He calls his dad a faggot for leaving him earlier in the album. Big Poppa is the only even slightly redeemable song about women on the album, and its not great, just okay. The song Just Playing (Dreams) was not included on the original album, only the remaster, but it was recorded around the same time as the album, and features a line about Biggie date raping a 9 year old girl. No that is not a joke. Actually difficult to listen to some of these songs with a modern perspective. Sorry biggie, great rapper, wish you had some self control to trim this thing down to like 12 songs and leave the garbage off it.
Sick day from work, listened to before. Skits are weird but some bangers
The intro. Hurt me physically Rapping was good though
In my junior high days I was a West Coast rap guy. I knew the hits because they got played a ton. This was my first time listening to this album. It’s typical mid 90’s rap, songs of bravado and sexual prowess, of a life of crime, but what struck me was just how nihilistic it was…it’s called Ready to Die and I feel like he really truly was. I’ll rank it a 4 but I think it’s more of a 3.5 from me. He’s got good rhymes and great flow, the samples and beats are good, annunciation in what it is, worth a listen, but doesn’t strike me as essential.
The greatest of ‘90s rap. Wonderful
Aged like milk, and all the explicit stuff in between actual tracks make it a frustrating listen.
Good vibes, lots of songs I already heard
Just not for me
If you leave out the 'sax' noises and the Puffy voice then it's a nice album
3.5
Pole kunagi räpi fänn olnud
14. avgust 2026. 15.37h best: juicy, big poppa nikad nisam bila preveliki fan repa (ali kao insert onu moju sliku u 8mile majici), sve je tako male centric i repetitive rhythm-vise i uvijek sam nekako in a place of idgafing sto se tice njihovih prica i tema tbh ali ponekad kad cujem rep 90ih budem kao ok i get it
Hard to rate. There are some good songs, but also some songs with unnecessary profane and violent focus. But the worst is the sex noises that keeps coming up. I will never listen to the full album again.
un buen disco, un clasico. no falla, bien gangsta. buenos sonidos, y el eterno biggie. El eterno tema bigg poppa
The Notorious B.I.G. an incredible rapper and the tracks are truly awesome. It isn't the best rap album ive ever hearded but we can see the talent. Its definitely an immersive album. Tho I don't think some of the song would be okay if they would have released in 2026( I don't think a woman moaning and all the sex reference are necessary). There's a bunch of misogynist lyrics that could have been avoided but overall not a bad album.
Overly long
Turns out, I like East Coast rap better than West Coast. What I don't like are silly fucking interludes or sketches or whatever. Either rap or don't.
Definitely a historically significant album with some incredible songs, but also a lot of skipping through.
honestly biggie might not be being the singles artist allegations either!! but man there are some all timers on here
big album. too big, actually Biggie has a very musical flow, delivery, and the beats are usually solid. A few tracks on here have achieved the height of popularity and for good reason. This album is easily one of the greatest of its genre, but it's not a genre that I can enjoy over extended listens. I would have given four stars if some weaker tracks weren't there
Great flow, but too much gangsta
The beats and the rapping flow so well in this album. Sure, the lyrics are vulgar, misogynistic, and violent, but Biggie weaves those lyrics into good stories (I can't say that about many of the rap/hip hop artists I've had to listen to). The skits are never my preference, though. I'd rather just listen to musical parts.
Not to my personal tastes, but it's evident why he was so influential.
3.4/5
2,5
Not really my jam, but I get why it made the list
Overrated
biggie mf, fuck p diddy for dickin down them kids and most likely taking out eazy e, xxxtentacion, and drake
que locochon
Solid gangster rap. Not as hooky as Dre and Snoop. But solid.
nichr so mein album
Rap in it's purst form.
I'll probably get shot for putting this on AOTY... I don't get the hype. I like rap, but this just isn't for me I don't think. I get he's trying to do a concept but I got to the last song and it was just like. Oh, he kills himself, but I just never even felt invested. The beats are pretty solid yeah, and I like a lot of the flows, so I'll definitely come back to it, but I'm 50/50 on the lyrics. A lot of them just feel like they're saying the same thing in a way that doesn't do much for me, and some of the songs feel like they go on too long and become overly repetitive as a result. Sorry guys...
Love the sound, don't like the sexism and uncomfortable with the amount of niggaz in the lyrics (being a sensible white person!).
Bra rap med nice 90 tals beats men har problemet många rap album har där de kör aldelles för många interludes. Dessutom är de över sexuella till punkten där det blir obekvämt.
Some proper bangers in here, but does it need to be as long as it is? Also lots of the misogyny that plagues older hip hop
This is a lot better than I expected. Good sample usage. Machine Gun Funk slaps hard, as they say.
it was good rap classic, but not good enough.
I've said it before - I'm not the target audience for this. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate when it's done well. Unfortunately, most of the Hip Hop/Rap albums we've had so far have been shockingly juvenile. This one, however, I didn't mind as much. Not saying I'd go back and listen again, but something about it, maybe his delivery, worked for me much more so than those others. I guess props to Biggy.
Weirdly sexual and violent at a lot of random moments, but still very catchy. I’d probably listen to some songs again. Very long album to listen all the way through though.
Nothing will ruin an otherwise decent album like a track that's literally just self-indulgent porn.
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
Listened to this album before always loved biggie had its good moments mainly decent
Me ha gustado bastante más al principio que en conjunto, me guardo: Things done change, Gimme the loot y Machine gun funk. Luego hay cosas muy gamberras que como adolescente podría entender, pero ya no me hacen tanta gracia y me parecen groseras. Anyway es un 3 estrellas alto.
too many bad skits
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.
hit or miss at times
hmm kind of up and down for me. a lot of the hits, eg "big poppa", do nothing w me, and i could've done without a few of the interludes of biggie having sex, but i really liked "suicidal thoughts" + "who shot ya", esp in connection w each other. "just playing (dreams)" REALLY nice closing track. all in all probably preferred the back half of the album.
3/6
- 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.
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