Number 80: Ready to Die by the Notorious B.I.G.
The pinnacle of East Coast hip-hop
Release: September 13th, 1994
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Juicy, Machine Gun Funk, Gimme the Loot
Where I heard it:
My hip-hop habit didn't get started until around 2014, right as I was about to graduate from high school. That being said, I knew about Biggie Smalls well before I started listening to anything by him. Growing up in the San Francisco bay area, the west coast versus east coast rivalry was understood quite early in life, and there was no bigger example of this battle than the hip-hop feud between Tupac Shakur's west coast style and The Notorious B.I.G.'s east coast influence. West coast artists like 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and N.W.A. were practically required listening as a kid. When I hit my hip-hop renaissance after high school, I was surprised that most of my favorite hip-hop artists like Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan, and certainly Biggie all were prominent in the east coast scene. I was appalled at first by my regional betrayal, but I soon began finding reasons to love both brands of hip-hop for their subtle differences between each other. During my initial deep-dive of the genre, I was immediately drawn to Ready to Die for its iconic album art that's considered one of the greatest of all time. As it turns out, the music ain't so bad either.
Webs on the neck from the necklace stripping
Then I'm dipping up the block, and I'm robbing bitches too
Up the herring bones and bamboos
I wouldn't give a fuck if you're pregnant
Give me the baby rings and a #1 Mom pendant
~ Gimme the Loot
What to expect:
Ready to Die is more akin to a cinematic experience that chronicles the life and times of Christopher Wallace otherwise known as The Notorious B.I.G., rife with tales typical of a troubled upbringing. The lyrical content alludes to several instances of armed robbery, sexual escapades, drug deals, and of course good old fashioned murder. It's up to the listener to decide how much of the lyrics are based upon true events, but the amount of attention to detail in Biggie's raps leave little doubt. These themes are reflected both musically and literally throughout the album, which is accompanied by various skits to provide further context towards songs before or after they play. Ready to Die can be down right uncomfortable or even disturbing sometimes, but there's a macabre fascination towards hearing first hand accounts of the struggles in the game. This morbid curiosity is only heightened by the colorful storytelling abilities of Biggie, who hooks you in with impeccable rhyme flow that stacks bar after bar together until an entire narrative is written. Biggie's vocal range allows him to immediately set the mood for a song, whether it's the depressed mumblings of Suicidal Thoughts or the shouting demands of Gimme the Loot. There's a depth to Biggie's voice that isn't quite James Earl Jones, but you can still hear the weight of every word. Ready to Die's high production value is responsible for most of the album's musical credibility in spite of its vulgar and offensive approach. Under the oversight of P. Diddy's entourage, Biggie's rap talent flourishes behind beautiful sample work that integrates funky classics from artists like James Brown, KC & the Sunshine Band, and the Isley Brothers to create unforgettable hip-hop beats like in Big Poppa and Machine Gun Funk. This harmonious fusion of sampling and wordsmithing makes Ready to Die an unforgettable experience in so many aspects.
Now we sip champagne when we thirsty
Why it's my favorite:
When I think of the legacy Biggie left behind, so much of it is inflated by the mythos that surrounds his short, tragic career. Massive fame and fortune couldn't save him from the lifestyle he was affiliated with for years. Perhaps it was no shock for it to all end this way; the album's name is Ready to Die after all. But the depth of it all is much more soul-baring than it comes to admit. Biggie documented the wide range of emotions involved with his particular situation from the humblest of beginnings to the summit of success. His Brooklyn roots influenced not only his lyrics, but the overall style he embodied with his raps. East coast hip-hop had such a forthright and autobiographical element to it which I was so drawn to in my early adulthood. I related to the themes of the underdog's redemption after suffering through the unthinkable. Obviously, the life Biggie lived was much more intense and agonizing than I will ever experience, but even the smallest connection between listener and artists helps humanize the man behind the mic. I shamelessly fantasize of a luxurious life like the one described in Juicy, and as I look over to my Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, I realize I'm not doing too bad in life. Ready to Die serves as a temporary escape from the mundanity of regular life, injecting a powerful dose of thrills and chills from the mind of one of hip-hop's greatest.
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