"Biggie Smalls Is The Illest"

Christopher Wallace a.k.a The Notorious B.I.G was born May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York. He first appeared on Heavy D and The Boyz's "A Buncha Niggas"

1994 saw the release of his first album, which made it onto The Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All Time list. The album's theme was, well, being ready to die. Smalls proved he was a worthy emcee on the masterpiece which featured, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Method Man, and Lil Kim. The stand out songs that gave Biggie fame goes as follows: One More Chance, Big Poppa, Juicy, and The Warning. My favorite track is "The What" with Method Man, it allowed Smalls to flex his lyricism. "Suicidal Thoughts" was the best track on the album, for no other rapper dared to talk in such a manner....

The original title was "Life After Death....'Til Death Do Us Part". Released in 1997 shortly after Biggie's death. This two disc feature probably contains Biggie's most quoted and Hip-Hop recognized songs. Hynotize, Fuck You Tonight, What's Beef?, You're Nobody('Til Somebody Kills You), Mo Money Mo Problems, Notorious Thugs and Ten Crack Commandments. the album featured a wide variety of producers from, Primo, RZA, to Clark Kent. The album features, Jay-Z, Ma$e, Puff Daddy, The LOX, R.Kelly, 112, Lil Kim, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

 

This was the original Biggie Duets album, for, no new songs were recorded, just old verses and unreleased songs. The only uber noteworthy tracks, "Rap Phenomenon" and "Dead Wrong"...Not to say the other songs were doo. The featured artists were, Mobb Deep, Eminem, Method Man, Redman, Nas, Too $hort, Hot Boyz, Beanie Sigel, Lil Kim, Lil Cease, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube and K-Ci & Jojo. Production from the usual Bad Boys producers, and Primo and Clark Kent again. Really the most unknown Biggie album in my opinion.

On the grounds of me not counting compilations, soundtracks and best of's as rap albums, we won't talk about the Biggie Duets or the Notorious Soundtrack.

Biggie had small beef with some rap characters, mainly, 2Pac and Wu-Tang Clan. Wu-Tang didn't like Biggie because they felt he bit his Ready To Die album cover from Nas' Illmatic cover. (Refer to Raekwon The Chef's "Shark Niggas" on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)

Tupac was taken in 1996 and Smalls followed in '97. Recognized as Brooklyn's Finest, Mr.Wallace will be missed. Will we ever see an act like or better than Biggie Smalls? Who knows?

R.I.P

P.E.A.C.E