100 Best Albums
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- 13 SEPT 1994
- 19 Songs
- Greatest Hits · 1994
- Life After Death (2014 Remaster) · 1997
- Ready to Die (The Remaster) · 1994
- Greatest Hits · 1995
- Greatest Hits · 1997
- Life After Death (2014 Remaster) · 1997
- Life After Death (2014 Remaster) · 1997
- Ready to Die (The Remaster) · 1994
- Ready to Die (The Remaster) · 1994
- Greatest Hits · 1997
Albums
- 2017
Artist Playlists
- Punishing hip-hop pulp from one of rap's greatest rhymers.
- The late rapper portrayed a rags-to-riches lifestyle.
- Breaking down the 10 rap commandments of BK's most beloved.
- From hits to deep cuts, breaking down the samples that have inspired one of music’s most vital artists.
Compilations
Appears On
More To Hear
- Hardcore raps get a pop sheen on this instant classic.
- No one could clear this classic jazz sample—until Biggie.
- Der legendäre Notorious B.I.G. prägt bis heute die Rapwelt.
- Ebro Darden honors The Notorious B.I.G. on the album’s 25th anniversary.
- Dotty celebrates 25 years of the Notorious B.I.G.'s classic LP.
- The stories behind Notorious B.I.G.'s seminal 1994 debut.
- More talk with the singer, and a Beats 1 Banger from Lizzo.
About The Notorious B.I.G.
At the height of his success, The Notorious B.I.G. dubbed himself the King of New York after the Christopher Walken-portrayed antihero from the film of the same name. The title was fitting and limiting: his swagger was unmistakably Brooklyn, but his talent and charisma made him a world-renowned superstar. Born Christopher Wallace in 1972, B.I.G. was raised by a Jamaican immigrant mother, writing raps and freestyling on street corners as a preteen. After dropping out of school and serving prison time for drug charges, he recorded a demo tape that eventually landed him at Bad Boy Records, founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs. B.I.G.'s explosive 1994 debut album, Ready to Die, chronicled his survivalism and sexploits with charm, menace and urgency. His vivid stories featured unflinching details ("I wouldn't give a f*ck if you're pregnant / Give me the baby rings and the No. 1 Mom pendant," he demands on "Gimme the Loot"), made digestible by his distinctive flow and recognisable '80s R&B samples courtesy of The Hitmen. The "ashy-to-classy" aspirations of Biggie's hit "Juicy" became a reality: he elevated his Junior M.A.F.I.A. crew, godfathered an empire of hitmakers and became one of the biggest rap stars in the world. Sadly, his meteoric rise came with a media-exacerbated beef with L.A. rapper 2Pac that culminated in both stars' murders six months apart, crippling the culture as it reeled from the luminaries’ absence. The ominously titled Life After Death—released weeks after Biggie's demise in March 1997—showed further refinement of his already elite skills, with mafioso raps and taunts aimed at other regions. Since, Bad Boy has released posthumous projects while new generations of East Coast rappers have worked to live up to his legacy. But try as they might, no one can dethrone the king.
- HOMETOWN
- Brooklyn, NY, United States of America
- BORN
- 21 May 1972
- GENRE
- Hip-Hop/Rap