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Ready to Die

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For other uses, see Ready to Die (disambiguation).
Untitled

Ready to Die is the debut studio album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records as well as the first release of the label. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. This was The Notorious B.I.G.'s only album released during his life; B.I.G. was murdered in 1997, and his second album Life After Death was released days after his death.

The partly autobiographical hardcore hip hop album tells the story of The Notorious B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal, referring to himself as "the black Frank White". The record gained strong reviews on release and became a commercial success, reaching quadruple platinum sales. It was significant for revitalizing East Coast hip hop at a time when the genre was mostly dominated by West Coast artists.[1] In 2006, Time magazine named it one of the 100 greatest albums of all time.[2] It was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Big Poppa" at the 1996 Grammy Awards. It also won 2 Awards at the Billboard Music Awards.

Conception

Recording

The album was recorded in New York City (mainly in The Hit Factory recording studio) in two stages between 1993 and 1994. In 1994, Biggie was only 21-22 when he recorded the album. Biggie was signed to the Uptown Records label by A&R Sean "Puffy" Combs in 1992. The following year Biggie started recording his debut album in New York, after having made numerous guest appearances on label mates' singles the previous year. The first tracks recorded include the album's darker, less radio-friendly content (including "Ready To Die," "Gimme The Loot" and "Things Done Changed"). In these sessions, XXL magazine describe an "inexperienced, higher-pitched" Biggie sounding "hungry and paranoid".[3]

When Executive Producer, Sean "Puffy" Combs, was fired from Uptown having only partially completed the album, Biggie's career hung in limbo. After a brief period dealing drugs in North Carolina, Biggie returned to the studio the following year on Combs' new Bad Boy Records label possessing "a smoother, more confident vocal tone" and completed the album. In this stage, the more commercial-sounding tracks of the album were recorded, including the album's singles. Between the two stages, XXL writes that Biggie moved from writing his lyrics in notebooks to freestyling them from memory.[3]

Cover art

The album was released with a cover depicting an infant resembling the artist, though sporting an afro. Rappers Raekwon and Ghostface would imply disdainfully on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (Loud, 1995) that this concept was stolen from the Nas record which was released earlier the same year, Illmatic.[4] Be that as it may, the cover has been listed as among the best in hip hop. The baby on the cover represents Biggie's daughter as a child. Ready To Die starts with the birth of Biggie and ends with his death by suicide.[5]

Music

Lyrics

The Notorious B.I.G.'s lyrics on the album were generally praised by critics, although they caused some controversy because of their violent representations and sexually explicit depictions. Many critics applauded his story-telling ability such as Allmusic writer, Steve Huey, who stated "His raps are easy to understand, but his skills are hardly lacking — he has a loose, easy flow and a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession". He also went on to mention that his lyrics are "firmly rooted in reality, but play like [a] scene from a movie".[6] Touré, writing for The New York Times, referred to The Notorious B.I.G., proclaiming that he stood out from other rappers because "his lyrics mix autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty, telling how he felt while making a living as a drug dealer".[7] The album is also noted for its dark tone and sinister sense of doom.[6] In the original Rolling Stone review, Cheo H. Coker declared that he "maintains a consistent level of tension by juxtaposing emotional highs and lows".[8]

The lyrics on Ready to Die tend to deal with violence, drug dealing, women, alcohol and marijuana consumption, and other elements of Notorious B.I.G.'s environment. Biggie rapped about these topics in "clear, sparse terms, allowing the lyrics to hit the first time you hear them".[8] The album contains a loose concept starting out with an intro that details the birth of Biggie, his early childhood, his adolescence and his life at the point of the album's release.[7] Songs on the album range from homicide narratives ("Warning") to braggadocios battle raps ("The What," "Unbelievable"). The song-before-last was "Suicidal Thoughts," a song where The Notorious B.I.G. contemplates suicide and finally commits suicide. The re-released album is finished with Who Shot Ya, a fan favorite.

Production

The production on the album was mainly handled by Combs and Easy Mo Bee, and it was generally well-received by critics. Rolling Stone described the beats as "heavy bottomed and slick," enhancing the lyrics but not standing in their own right.[8] The production is mainly sample-based with the samples varying from the percussion of funk tracks to the vocals of hip hop songs. Steve Huey presented some criticism over the beats, stating that the "deliberate beats do get a little samey, but it hardly matters: this is Biggie's show"[6] Cheo H. Coker depicted the beats as "heavy bottomed and slick, but B.I.G.'s rhymes are the showstoppers. The tracks only enhance them, whether it's the live bass driving a menacing undercurrent or [the] use of bluesy guitar and wah-wah feedback" and that the production is used to "push the rapper to new heights."[8] In The Source, Shortie stated that "some of the beats get a little repetitive (Me And My Bitch and What Chu Want) and the two sex skits are annoying.[9]

Songs

Content

Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance" and a promotional track: "Warning". According to XXL the more commercial sound of the singles compared to the rest of the album was a result of encouragement by Combs during the later recording sessions in which they were recorded.[3] "Big Poppa" was nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance. The album boasts production from Easy Mo Bee, The Hitmen and DJ Premier. Guests on the album were minimal, with Method Man being the only featured artist, appearing on "The What."

"Juicy"

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"Juicy"
This shows Notorious B.I.G.'s rhyming style and flow. It also displays his story-telling ability.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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"Juicy" was released as the lead single on August 8, 1994. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles.[10] It sold over 500,000 copies and the RIAA certified it Gold on November 8, 1994.[11] Produced by Combs, it features a prominent sample of "Juicy Fruit" as performed by James Mtume. Allmusic's Steve Huey stated that, along with the other singles, it was an "upbeat, commercial moment", calling it a "rags-to-riches chronicle".[6] Andrew Kameka, of HipHopDX.com, stated that the song was one of his "greatest and most-revealing songs" and went on to say it was a "Part-autobiography, part-declaration-of-success. It document[s] the star's transition from Brooklyn knucklehead to magazine cover story."[12]

"Big Poppa"

"Big Poppa" was released as the second single on April 3, 1996 and like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number one on Hot Rap Singles.[10] It sold over a million units and the RIAA certified it Platinum on May 23, 1995.[11] Featuring production by Combs and Chucky Thompson of The Hitmen, it samples "Between the Sheets" by The Isley Brothers. The song was nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance, but lost to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise". Steve Huey named it an "overweight-lover anthem".[6]

"One More Chance"

"One More dance" was released as the third single on June 9, 1995. The single was a remix of the album track. It was produced by Combs and featured a sample from DeBarge's "Stay With Me". It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and Hot Rap Singles.[10] It sold over a million copies and the RIAA certified it Platinum on July 31, 1992.[11] Steve Huey labeled it a "graphic sex rap".[6] Rolling Stone writer Cheo H. Coker had a similar view of the song, noting that it was "one of the bawdiest sex raps since Kool G Rap's classic, 'Talk Like Sex'" and continued, stating it "proves hilarious simply because of B.I.G.'s Dolemitelike vulgarity."[8]

Reception

Initial

Upon its release, Ready to Die received strong reviews,[13] and unlike other acclaimed East Coast hip hop albums released at the time (including the Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Nas' Illmatic), such critical success was matched commercially, with sales driven by strong radio and MTV airplay for the singles "Juicy" and "Big Poppa". Rolling Stone praised Biggie's ability in "painting a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene". Q magazine wrote "...the natural rapping, clever use of sound effects and acted dialogue, and concept element... set this well apart from the average gangsta bragging".[13] The album peaked at #3 and #13 on Billboard's (North America) Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and the Billboard 200 album charts and was eventually certified quadruple platinum.[14]

Retrospective

In retrospect, the album has been highly acclaimed. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.[15] The magazine, which had initially scored the album 4.5 mics (out of five) in its 1994 review[9] raised its rating to five. In 2003, the album was ranked number 133 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It is the third highest ranked hip hop album on the list (with Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell ranking above), but the highest ranking 90s hip-hop album and debut hip-hop album nonetheless. The album was ranked #27 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005".[16]

Track listing

All songs were written and performed by The Notorious B.I.G. except "The What". The list of samples for each track is only partial.

# Title Time Songwriter(s) Producer(s) Performer(s) Sample(s)[17] Year Recorded
1 "Intro" 3:24 The Notorious B.I.G. Sean "Puffy" Combs *Interlude* 1993
2 "Things Done Changed" 3:58 The Notorious B.I.G. Darnell Scott The Notorious B.I.G.

—

1993
3 "Gimme the Loot" 5:04 The Notorious B.I.G. Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G. 1993
4 "Machine Gun Funk" 4:17 The Notorious B.I.G. Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G. 1994
5 "Warning" 3:40 The Notorious B.I.G. Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G. 1994
6 "Ready to Die" 4:24 The Notorious B.I.G. Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G.

—

1993
7 "One More Chance" 4:43 The Notorious B.I.G. The Bluez Brothers
Chucky Thompson
Sean "Puffy" Combs 		The Notorious B.I.G., Total (additional vocals), Chucky Thompson (instruments)

—

1994
8 "#!*@ Me (Interlude)" 1:31 The Notorious B.I.G. Sean "Puffy" Combs The Notorious B.I.G.

—

1994
9 "The What" 3:57 The Notorious B.I.G.
Method Man 		Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G., Method Man

—

1994
10 "Juicy" 5:02 The Notorious B.I.G. Jean "Poke" Oliver
Sean "Puffy" Combs
  • Pete Rock, whose version of the song appears as a remix released on the 12" single, claims to have had the idea stolen by Combs, who produced his own version for the album.
 The Notorious B.I.G., Total (additional vocals) 1994
11 "Everyday Struggle" 5:19 The Notorious B.I.G. The Bluez Brothers The Notorious B.I.G. 1993
12 "Me & My Bitch" 4:00 The Notorious B.I.G. The Bluez Brothers
Chucky Thompson
Sean "Puffy" Combs 		The Notorious B.I.G., Sybil Pennix (voice), Chucky Thompson (instruments)

—

1993
13 "Big Poppa" 4:13 The Notorious B.I.G. Chucky Thompson
Sean "Puffy" Combs 		The Notorious B.I.G., Nashiem Myrick (additional programing) 1994
14 "Respect" 5:21 The Notorious B.I.G. Jean "Poke" Oliver
Sean "Puffy" Combs 		The Notorious B.I.G., Diana King (additional vocals) 1994
15 "Friend of Mine" 3:28 The Notorious B.I.G. Easy Mo Bee The Notorious B.I.G. 1994
16 "Unbelievable" 3:43 The Notorious B.I.G. DJ Premier The Notorious B.I.G.

—

1994
17 "Suicidal Thoughts" 2:50 The Notorious B.I.G. Lord Finesse The Notorious B.I.G.

—

1994
18 "Who Shot Ya?"* 5:19 C. Wallace, A. Wrubel, H. Magidson, N. Myrick, S. "Puffy" Combs Sean "Puffy" Combs & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy (backing vocals) 1994
19 "Just Playing (Dreams)"* 2:43 C. Wallace, R. Smith Rashad Smith The Notorious B.I.G. 1993

* denotes Extended Version Bonus Tracks

Chart history

Album

Charts (1994)[18] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 15
U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 3

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[19]
Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot Rap Tracks
1994 "Juicy" 27 14 3
"Big Poppa" 6 4 1
"One More Chance" 2 1 1

References

  1. ^ Steve Huey. The Notorious B.I.G. > Biography. Allmusic. Accessed March 17, 2007
  2. ^ Josh Tyrangiel (November 13, 2006). The All-TIME 100 Albums. Time. Accessed May 13, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c Andrea Duncan (March 9, 2006). The Making of Ready to Die: Family Business XXL. Accessed March 18, 2008.
  4. ^ Raekwon. "Shark Niggas (Biters)", Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Loud, 1995. See also: Nas. "Last Real Nigga Alive", God's Son, Columbia, 2002.
  5. ^ Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Chairman Mao, Gabriel Alvarez & Brent Rollins. ego trip's Book of Rap Lists, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, p. 167. ISBN 9780312242985
  6. ^ a b c d e f Steve Huey. Ready to Die > Overview. Allmusic. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  7. ^ a b Touré (December 18, 1994). Pop Music; Biggie Smalls, Rap's Man of the Moment. The New York Times. Accessed March 26, 2008.
  8. ^ a b c d e Cheo H. Coker (November 3, 1994). Ready to Die Review. Rolling Stone. Accessed March 18, 2008
  9. ^ a b Shortie (October, 1994) Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G. | Album Review. The Source.
  10. ^ a b c Ready to Die - Billboard Singles. Allmusic. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c RIAA Searchable database - Notorious B.I.G. Singles. RIAA. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  12. ^ Andrew Kameka (March 7, 2007) Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G. | Album Review. HipHopDX. Accessed May 15, 2008.
  13. ^ a b Ready To Die Product Description. Tower Records. Accessed December 10, 2006
  14. ^ RIAA Searchable database - Ready to Die. RIAA. Accessed May 13, 2008.
  15. ^ The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. Rocklistmusic. Accessed May 13, 2008.
  16. ^ Ready to Die. AcclaimedMusic. Accessed December 21, 2006.
  17. ^ The Notorious B.I.G. sample search. The-breaks. Accessed March 17, 2007.
  18. ^ "Ready to Die - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  19. ^ "Ready to Die - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
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