Buck shots out the sunroof of Lexus coupes
Leave no witnesses, what you think this is?
Ain’t no amateurs here, I damage and tear
Emcees fear me, they too near not to hear me
Clearly, I’m the triple beam dream
One thousand grams of uncut to the gut
It seems fucked up, the way I touched up the grill
Tryin’ to play gorilla, when you ain’t no killer
The gat’s by your liver, your upper lip quiver
Get *ready to die*, tell God I said hi
And throw down some ice for the nicest emcee
N***as know the steelo, unbelievable….
(“Unbelievable”)

This past Wednesday marked the 23rd anniversary of one of hip hop’s all-time greatest debut albums; the quadruple-platinum-selling Ready To Die, from the late, great Brooklyn, NYC lyrical sensation The Notorious B.I.G. a/k/a Biggie Smalls. A critical and commercial success, this classic joint even to this day remains a defining moment for East Coast hip hop, showcasing Biggie’s incredible lyrical talents over sample-heavy production that would please both underground boom bap heads and mainstream audiences alike. It would also establish Sean “Puffy” Combs’ newly formed Bad Boy Entertainment as a credible force to be reckoned with in the industry; the previous year, Puffy had been fired from Uptown Records, which had spawned Biggie’s debut single as a solo artist, “Party And Bullshit” and was also home to his earliest guest appearances on records from Mary J. Blige and Heavy D, respectively. Biggie’s verbal gymnastics contain a unique and unparalleled combination of raw skill, humor and attention to detail that should consistently keep you not only happy but thirsty for more as you nod your head.

Ready To Die contains two of Biggie’s biggest (ha!) singles to date, both of which incorporate prominent samples from ’80s old school throwback jams; the autobiographical success story “Juicy” (based on a beautiful sample of Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit”), and the slick player’s anthem (no, not “Player’s Anthem”) “Big Poppa” (which just as beautifully samples the Isley Brothers’ “Between The Sheets”). Additionally, the album cut “One More Chance” was given two different hit remixes; the first of which, the “Stay With Me” remix (based on a sample of yet another ’80s old school throwback, DeBarge’s “Stay With Me”), would shoot up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and become a platinum seller.

Other classic Biggie staples found on Ready To Die include the stick-up anthem “Gimme The Loot” (where Big expertly adopts two different voices to play out a robbery scene in a back-and-forth hip hop verse format), the grimy DJ Premier-produced banger “Unbelievable” (featuring a memorable R. Kelly vocal sample being scratched in the chorus; this song also happened to be the B-side to the “Juicy” single, as Big wanted to make sure to cater to the streets just in case heads wouldn’t respond well to the radio-friendly jam (SPOILER ALERT: they did)), “The What” (just a fun, dope little track where Big trades verses with none other than the almighty Wu-Tang Clan’s own Method Man; the latter is the album’s lone guest rap performer), the tragic ghetto love story “Me & My Bitch” and the chilling Lord Finesse-laced album closer “Suicidal Thoughts” (in which Big kills himself at the very end, setting the stage for his next album release, the posthumous and equally important Life After Death, nearly three years later). I should also mention that Easy Mo Bee’s production graces about a third of the album, on the aforementioned “Gimme The Loot” and “The What” as well as the title track and additional highlights like the gritty “Machine Gun Funk” and the cinematic mastery of “Warning”.

This loose concept album is simply one of the very best of its kind and is an absolutely timeless and essential addition to any hip hop fan’s collection. Come on now, I shouldn’t even have to tell you how crucial this shit is. And if ya don’t know, now ya know….

R.I.P. Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace a/k/a Biggie Smalls (1972-1997)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw?ecver=1]