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Widely considered as one of the greatest and most important rap albums of all time, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die is an indisputable masterpiece and one of the cornerstones of East Coast rap. Released by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in September, 1994, Biggie's debut album paved the way for countless future stars and signalled the beginning of an East Coast revival. Coming straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, The Notorious B.I.G. paints a picture of the darker, criminal side of early '90s New York, drawing mainly from personal experience. In contrast to the West Coast glamorization and glorification of the criminal lifestyle, Ready To Die includes tracks which give a brutally honest account of a crook’s life on the streets, something which helped Biggie gain the respect of the masses. The album also explores some of the rapper’s deeper and more troubling thoughts and emotions with tracks such as "Everyday Struggle" and the distressing late night phone call of "Suicidal Thoughts". The album’s lead single, "Juicy", went gold just over three months after its release, with following singles "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance" both certified platinum less than a year later. These three tracks signaled the arrival of the artist the East Coast had been waiting for to lead the charge against the West Coast dominance started by Dr. Dre and co.
As well as telling the story of the streets, Biggie spends parts of the album explaining how his focus on music was a way for him to take a step back from the criminal lifestyle, something he demonstrates on "Machine Gun Funk" with the lyrics "Left the drugs alone, took the thugs along with me" and "I’m doing rhymes now, f*** the crimes now." However, the album also makes it clear that despite turning over a new leaf, it can be hard for someone who once had "a key knee deep in the crack game" ("Things Done Changed") to cut all ties with their past life. "Warning" documents a robbery attempt by two men who had heard of the known ex-drug dealer’s rise to the top of the rap game, and ends with Biggie firing two fatal shots, a poetic way of conveying the difficulty the rapper had in distancing himself from street life. Never shying away from telling his own story, "Respect" sees Biggie map out his turbulent life for us, from birth to dope smoking teen, drug dealer, convict, and finally rap sensation. With its old school loops and lucid yet humorous lyrics, Ready To Die cemented itself in rap folklore and marked the start of a career that was tragically ended far too soon with the rapper’s shooting in March, 1997. © Euan Decourt / Qobuz
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Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Rodgers, Writer - Curtis Mayfield, Writer - BERNARD EDWARDS, Writer - Robinson, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - "BASSY" BOB BROCKMANN, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - "BASSY" BOB BROCKMANN, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - OWENS, Writer - Darnell Scott, Producer - Delance Scott, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - James Jackson, Writer - Easy Mo Bee, Producer - Osten Harvey, Writer - Chris Martin, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Tyrone Taylor, Writer - Keith Elam, Writer - Greg Pinto, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Kirk Jones, Writer - Bryan Higgins, Writer - Fred Scruggs, Writer - Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Writer - Malik Izaak Taylor, Writer - Trevor G Smith Jr, Writer - Ali-Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Marlon Williams, Writer - Easy Mo Bee, Producer - Osten Harvey, Writer - Kelly, Writer - Chris Martin, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Keith Elam, Writer - "BASSY" BOB BROCKMANN, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Kevin Hansford, Writer - Dupre Kelly, Writer - Al-Terik Wardrick, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records LLC for the United States and WEA International Inc.for the world excluding the United States, South America and Central America
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Easy Mo Bee, Producer - Osten Harvey, Writer - Burt Bacharach, Writer - Hal David, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Rich Travali, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Barbara Mason, Writer - Leroy Bonner, Writer - Ralph Middlebrooks, Writer - Clarence Satchell, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Osten Harvey, Writer - Sean Combs, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Marshall Eugene Jones, Writer - Walter Junie Morrison, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records LLC for the United States and WEA International Inc.for the world excluding the United States, South America and Central America
Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Producer, All Instruments - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Reginald Ellis, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Carl Thompson, Writer - Sean Combs, Writer - Norman, Producer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Digga, Producer - Rich Travali, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Norman Glover, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Prince Charles Alexander, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Bill Esses, Mixer, Recorded by - Easy Mo Bee, Producer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Method Man, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Jean Claude Oliver, Writer - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Sean Puffy Combs, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Mario Rodriguez, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Total, Additional Vocals - James Mtume, Writer - Jean "Poke" Oliver, Producer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Harvey Mason, Writer - Reginald Ellis, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Norman, Producer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Grusin, Writer - Digga, Producer - Rich Travali, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Norman Glover, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Producer, All Instruments - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Reginald Ellis, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Carl Thompson, Writer - Larry Troutman, Writer - Sean Combs, Writer - Norman, Producer - ROGER TROUTMAN, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Digga, Producer - Shirley Murdock, Writer - Rich Travali, MixingEngineer - Norman Glover, Writer - John Wydrycs, RecordingEngineer - Sybil Pennix, Voice Over - Gary Morgan, Writer - Frank Donalds, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
O'Kelly Isley, Writer - Marvin Isley, Writer - Christopher Jasper, Writer - Ernest Isley, Writer - Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Producer - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Rudolph Bernard Isley, Writer - Ronald Isley, Writer - Rich Travali, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Diana King, Additional Vocals - Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Harry Wayne Casey, Writer - KING, Writer - Mario Rodriguez, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Finch, Writer - Jean "Poke" Oliver, Producer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Dennis Thomas, Writer - Robert Bell, Writer - George Brown, Writer - Robert Mickens, Writer - Black Mambo, Writer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Donald Boyce, Writer - Easy Mo Bee, Producer - Earl Toon, Writer - Osten Harvey, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Ronald Bell, Writer - Claydes Smith, Writer - Richard Westfield, Writer - "BASSY" BOB BROCKMANN, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Meekaaeel Muhammed, Writer - Dean Taylor, Writer - Otha Nash, Writer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Chris Martin, Writer - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Eddie Sancho, MixingEngineer - Norty Cotto, RecordingEngineer - R. Kelly, Writer - DJ Premier, Producer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Lord Finesse, Producer, Writer - "BASSY" BOB BROCKMANN, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Sean "Puffy" Combs, Producer - Nashiem Myrick, Producer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Sean Combs, Composer - Christopher Wallace, Composer - FAITH EVANS, Additional Vocals - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals - Herbert Magidson, Composer - Allie Wrubel, Composer - Poke, Additional Programmer - Nasheim Myrick, Composer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Rashad Smith, Producer, Writer - Sean "Puffy" Combs, ExecutiveProducer - The Notorious B.I.G., MainArtist - Notorious B.I.G., Vocals, Writer - Mr. Cee, Associate Executive Producer
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records
Album review
Widely considered as one of the greatest and most important rap albums of all time, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die is an indisputable masterpiece and one of the cornerstones of East Coast rap. Released by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in September, 1994, Biggie's debut album paved the way for countless future stars and signalled the beginning of an East Coast revival. Coming straight from the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, The Notorious B.I.G. paints a picture of the darker, criminal side of early '90s New York, drawing mainly from personal experience. In contrast to the West Coast glamorization and glorification of the criminal lifestyle, Ready To Die includes tracks which give a brutally honest account of a crook’s life on the streets, something which helped Biggie gain the respect of the masses. The album also explores some of the rapper’s deeper and more troubling thoughts and emotions with tracks such as "Everyday Struggle" and the distressing late night phone call of "Suicidal Thoughts". The album’s lead single, "Juicy", went gold just over three months after its release, with following singles "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance" both certified platinum less than a year later. These three tracks signaled the arrival of the artist the East Coast had been waiting for to lead the charge against the West Coast dominance started by Dr. Dre and co.
As well as telling the story of the streets, Biggie spends parts of the album explaining how his focus on music was a way for him to take a step back from the criminal lifestyle, something he demonstrates on "Machine Gun Funk" with the lyrics "Left the drugs alone, took the thugs along with me" and "I’m doing rhymes now, f*** the crimes now." However, the album also makes it clear that despite turning over a new leaf, it can be hard for someone who once had "a key knee deep in the crack game" ("Things Done Changed") to cut all ties with their past life. "Warning" documents a robbery attempt by two men who had heard of the known ex-drug dealer’s rise to the top of the rap game, and ends with Biggie firing two fatal shots, a poetic way of conveying the difficulty the rapper had in distancing himself from street life. Never shying away from telling his own story, "Respect" sees Biggie map out his turbulent life for us, from birth to dope smoking teen, drug dealer, convict, and finally rap sensation. With its old school loops and lucid yet humorous lyrics, Ready To Die cemented itself in rap folklore and marked the start of a career that was tragically ended far too soon with the rapper’s shooting in March, 1997. © Euan Decourt / Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 19 track(s)
- Total length: 01:16:33
- Main artists: The Notorious B.I.G.
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Bad Boy Records
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC. ℗ 2004 Bad Boy Records, LLC.
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