Baby, Baby: The 25th Anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut, ‘Ready To Die’ [Editorial]

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

The Notorious B.I.G. is, without doubt, an essential figure in the Hip-Hop hierarchy, perhaps elevated to his lofty slot by way of reverence in death alongside an appreciation for the brief body of work. In 1994, the world was properly introduced to Biggie Smalls in grand fashion by way of his debut album, Ready To Die.

The story of Christopher George Latore Wallace, the son of Jamaican immigrants and raised in Brooklyn, New York, has been told time and again. His storied climb to fame has been documented in a biopic, Notorious, and via other mediums so retelling the rise of Big to Biggie to Notorious B.I.G. is less necessary here. What is necessary to note is what music listeners were privileged to hear from Biggie Smalls, and the rather swift evolution to the artist he became.

On Heavy D’s incredibly slept-on fourth album Blue Funk, released in 1992, the album showcased a much rougher edge to the radio-friendly star. The song’s ending track, “A Buncha N*ggas,” was a future Hall of Fame lineup of Guru of Gangstarr, 3rd Eye, Rob-O of I-N-I, Hev, and a very hungry Biggie Smalls. Although every rapper brought their best to the track, it’s hard to ignore the sheer energy of Biggie and how that East Coast Stomp flow was untouchable. For some hardcore heads, this would be their first true introduction to the Brooklyn upstart.

“I bring drama like ya, spit on my momma

Cannibalistic, like that n*gga Jeffrey Dahmer

I’ma head peeler, girl stealer

Coffin sealer, ex-drug dealer, {HUNNNNHH!]

When I hit you with the blow of death I leave nothing left

I cook you up so quick, they call me Biggie Smalls the Chef

My burner’s to my left, I’m not the type to fight

I’m blowing up quick like a stick of dynamite

So call nine-one-one, Biggie’s got a gun

The gat to your back, I’m smoking everyone

Quick to pack, quick to squeeze on the trigger

Who’s in the house? [HUNNNNHH]! A buncha n*ggas!”

The reappearance of Biggie Smalls occurred again in 1993 via the Who’s The Man soundtrack lead song, “Party & Bullsh*t, a still-potent banger from Easy Mo Bee that highlighted gliding across the organ-tinged groove. There were several Hip-Hop acts comprised of rappers that matched and perhaps surpassed Biggie’s ability in the early 1990s — we’re talking names like Heltah Skeltah, Gangstarr, Redman, A Tribe Called Quest, Souls Of Mischief, Cypress Hill — but none of them cut through the mix with the force and control Biggie had on the song.

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Photo: Getty

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

For those lucky enough to be alive in those times and witness the moment as it happened, “Party & Bullsh*t” became anthemic in Hip-Hop circles, a guaranteed party-starter no matter which part of the night it rocked. Barbershops, the original hotbed of terrible takes and verbal dissent before social media’s rise, was ground zero for spirited discussions on Hip-Hop’s next big thing. Bigge’s name came up often but there was still a distinctly East Coast, and more specifically, New York bent that defined him as an artist at that time.

The year 1994 gave way to a number of classic debut albums: Nas’ Illmatic; Outkast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik; Jeru The Damaja’s The Sun Rises In The East; The Beatnuts’ Street Level; M.O.P.’s To The Death; and Saafir’s Boxcar Sessions is in this decidedly rich collection of Hip-Hop releases. However, the debut of The Notorious B.I.G., now firmly in line with Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records imprint after a stint with Uptown Records, showcased a refinement few would have expected from the verses that came before.

Ready To Die‘s lead single, “Juicy,” built upon ’80s funk and soul band Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit,” was a triumphant rags-to-riches track that also visually introduced the artist by way of its glossy video treatment in a fashion some Hip-Hop observers viewed as unprecedented at the time. The song took hold of the radio in August of 1994, dually serving as a launching pad for R&B group, Total, who performed the hook. The song has garnered the adoration of fans and critics alike while still enjoying a solid run as a floor-packing jam.

The second single, “Big Poppa” is again another song that has endured over the past quarter of a century, with Biggie fashioning himself as a suave ladies man, and that was in turn followed with the album’s third and final single, “One More Chance.” A common thread to all these tracks was the omnipresent P Diddy and his adlibs across the length of the entire song, lending one to assume that these smoothed-out jams were all there was to The Notorious B.I.G.

Ready To Die was a rude awakening to anyone believing that based on the album’s big three singles it would stay in those lanes. Songs like the gritty “Things Done Changed,” “Gimme The Loot,” “Machine Gun Funk,” and “Warning” shook up expectations with ease. DJ Premier’s amazing chop work on “Unbelievable” was another display of the vocal gifts Biggie possessed, using a tone of voice that allowed him to dance over Preemo’s production. The final song, “Suicidal Thoughts,” is still as bone-chilling an album closer as any in recent memory, and haunts the mind long after it ends.

Source: Al Pereira / Getty

To say that Ready To Die is just as vital as Illmatic even when one considers the stylistic differences between Biggie and Nas, would not be a reach. Sure, the hits for Big have been, in some circles, lazy fallbacks to get a requisite “Oh Sh*t” from the aunties and uncles at the old-head function. But taken as a whole, Biggie’s debut album put on display the dichotomous lives of young Black men in America. An America that celebrates success in excess, yet how the glory fame provides doesn’t upend one’s roots or troubles, especially those that run Brooklyn deep.

The album’s sound holds up well, as The Trackmasters, Chucky Thompson, Lord Finesse, Bluez Brothers, and Darnell Scott gave Biggie their best and he matched them effortlessly. It may not top the best debut of all-time lists for many, but it for damn sure needs to somewhere close to the top.

Ready To Die showed the promise and hunger of Biggies Smalls and it is frustrating to wonder what would have happened had he survived that hail of gunfire in 1997. Instead of dwelling on the what-ifs, we’ll instead press play on the album and transport ourselves to 1994 when all that mattered more than anything was if the songs were dope.

The Hip-Hop Wired crew chimed in with their thoughts on Ready To Die, and it is clear that we share the same appreciation for this classic body of work. We thank you for sharing this journey with us.

“I still remember vividly my mans Will from around the way excitedly telling me how dope Ready To Die was, and I thoroughly agreed. However, he was also furious that “Dreams” wasn’t on the album. All that to say, you can’t please everybody, but Biggie was the King of New York, period.” — Alvin “Aqua” Blanco, Managing Editor. [Will, the remaster of the LP did you right by adding it as a bonus!]

“When ‘Ready To Die’ dropped it was during my freshman year in high school when for the first time in my life, I had to attend a school outside my Brooklyn hood where I wouldn’t know anybody. Biggie accompanied me every day on my train ride back and forth from my Manhattan school and gave an overweight teenager the confidence to bop with his head held high and even talk to pretty girls in the school hallways. Getting them was another story on its own but when I was finally able to get one back to my honeycomb hideout, I credited Biggie for that ’cause he made being big attractive for a minute. Best believe I took advantage of that opening. Thanks, Big. R.I.P.” — O, Contributing Writer.

“Ready To Die was one of the first Rap albums I listened to in my youth. The album made me feel proud to be from Brooklyn, especially knowing that one of the best rappers was holding us down. Ready To Die told a story of rags to riches and gave us particular moments we could relate to growing up in the hood. PLUS, we got “Juicy” and “One More Chance” from that joint. — Bernard “Beanz” Smalls, Gaming/Tech Writer & Men’s Lifestyle & Pop Culture.

“While the Bad Boy Entertainment wave played a major part in elevating the original 17-track release, there is no denying that Ready To Die plays an integral part to the 90’s Hip-Hop story arc. B.I.G. should be recognized as a trendsetter who will forever have an indelible influence on the culture.” — Martin Berrios, Contributing Writer.

“Biggie’s album not only provided party jams, he successfully helped Hip-Hop shift to a whole different wave. That’s just how influential this album was and still is.” — Tiffany Hamilton, Contributing Writer.

Stream Ready To Die below.