The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die: The Remaster

legend!!!

By Far the best, he out ways the rest. This 2 disc is great for all fans out there or new ones. Just a great cd mixed with sum classics of biggys that we all remember him for. Know one else raps like him 1 of a kind and the 2nd disc is great fill of sum video clips and a live performance with p-diddy. Point is its a great cd and if your not a fan bye this 2-disc cd as soon as you get your next pay cheque. September 28, 2007

The album that defined an era

The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut arrived at a turning point for hip hop music. As the old school style from the east coast was slowly growing stale, a new funkier and angrier approach was steadily growing in the form of gangsta rap from the west coast. Then, of course, came "Ready to Die," one of the finest hip hop albums of all time, and one that bridged the gap between the old and new schools. This is the album that introduced the world to the incredible rapper and incredible character that was Christopher Wallace. A young, overweight Brooklyn native, a father, and a former hustler, Biggie impressed listeners not only with his talent but his personality on the mic. Technically, he is not short of amazing. His ingenious punchlines, late-night stories, threats, and jokes are delivered in his raspy, cheeky voice with precise technique, always on time and in a perfect flow. Lyrically, he covers many topics but the quality is ever so consistent. On one song, he'll be telling a story of crime, on the next song he'll be poking fun at a ghetto loser, or seducing a woman, nostalgically reminiscing over the past, or dramatically philosophizing about the meaning of life and death. His verses are all meticulously written and never lose your attention. Another reason "Ready to Die" is so great is the production. The young Sean Combs anchors a production team that uses extensive, clever sampling to create a unique musical backdrop for Biggie. The album is well divided between radio friendly singles and harder, darker songs that would be too rough for radio. The hardcore tracks inspired an entire generation of grimy New York rappers that would reign towards the late 1990s, but the influence of the popular singles could also be felt on urban radio for years to come. "Ready to Die" is an absolutely classic hip hop album and one of the finest ever, a must have for any collection.

The album begins with a dramatic intro, which gives way to "Things Done Changed," a well-produced and ironic look back at Biggie's humble roots. "Gimme the Loot" is one of the songs that shows his lyrical genius, where he plays multiple characters in a conversation, creating a classic track. "Machine Gun Funk" is an upbeat, funky cut sampling a song by Lords of the Underground for the hook. On the excellent "Warning," Biggie again plays multiple characters during conversation, before dropping philosophy on backstabbers and issuing threats. The title track follows accordingly, as does the original mix of "One More Chance," a song to a woman about their relationship (the more popular remix is not included on the tracklist). Perhaps my favorite song is the Method Man collaboration "The What," a song where the two depressed MCs drop some dark knowledge and philosophy over a great beat. It doesn't get much better than having two of New York's finest rappers over a solid 1994-styled beat. "Juicy" is an absolute classic, an emotional and effective rags-to-riches look at his upbringing, effectively sampling an 80s R&B hit by Mtume. Another of my favorites is the hopeful "Everyday Struggle," which is blessed with the nicest beat on the album, a sunny, clever production over which Biggie recounts the troubles of trying to get by. "Me & My B..." is a humorous and enjoyable tune, followed by the unforgettable hit "Big Poppa." This song has a perfect, Isley Brothers-sampling beat, a head-nodding funker, and shows the humorously seductive BIG at his finest. The well done "Respect" and catchy "Friend of Mine" are worthy deep-album cuts, and the DJ Premier-produced "Unbelievable" has an unforgettable chorus and production. The album closes with one of his most stunning works, "Suicidal Thoughts," a depressing insight of life from a suicidal person.

Overall, "Ready to Die" is inspiring, beautiful, and immensely entertaining. This album doesn't sound like it has aged a bit, and even thirteen yeras later sounds as fresh and incredible as the day it dropped. Listeners of any age should be able to appreciate this masterpiece, it's so consistent that there's not one piece of skip material over seventeen tracks. Unarguably one of the finest hip hop albums ever, I cannot recommend it any higher.

Today, the black covered "Remaster" is the only version in print as far as I know, because last year some lawsuits emergedo over sampling issues. The remaster includes two bonus tracks, "Who Shot Ya?" and "Just Playing," both worthy additions to the tracklist. Also, the DVD is a welcome bonus, with videos and live performances. It's a pretty nice package for a good price. July 10, 2007

Biggie's Best!

Although Life After Death was excellent, Ready to Die was a landmark album. It is cool to hear the angrier Biggie on some songs and an others the smooth, slick Biggie we all know. His flow is outstanding and his lyrics and content truly capture his life's story. It will always remain one of the top hip hop albums of all time.
April 9, 2007

The Album That Set The Year '94 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5 stars)

Can anyone forget this album? This album (as well as Nas' "Illmatic" were the front runners of the year 1994. Christopher "Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)" Wallace debuted with this album with the lead single "Juicy". A rags to riches song that still gets played here in 2006. Biggie's lyrical skills were excellent. I hear a lot of rappers (who I will be here all day naming) saying excellent lines that came from Biggie. I think to myself "Damn, this guy said everything".

The album is excellent too. A lot of these songs are about drugs, robbing, and what not. Big was just rhyming about things that he went through before he had a record deal, trying to survive and eat. Who could blame him? "Give Me The Loot" is one of those songs about his struggles (some words were edited in this song. I'm pretty sure rhyming about robbing a pregnant woman was going to gain some negative attention). "Machine Gun Funk" is self explanitory on how a good song it was. "Warning" was a short song and video about people targeting him for his money. "One More Chance" is a great song about how he gets his females. The song would be remixed and made into a video a year later, but both versions sound great.

Guest appearances are only one. Method Man, back when his rhyme skills were phenomonal, would rhyme on "The What". Classic track if you ask me.

Production was by Mr. Cee, Puff Daddy, and Easy Mo Bee. True, Puffy might be the "king of beat jacking" and what not, but he did a damn good job with them. The Isley Brothers "Between The Sheets" would be made into the classic single "Big Poppa" was one of them.

This album was pulled off the shelves earlier of this year, because of unauthorized sampling on this album. But recently I've seeing it back on shelves. I guess it got settled. I bought this back in 2003 when it had the origonal white album cover. If you purchased this in 2004, you get the album with a few extra tracks like the more popular "One More Chance (Remix)". And you get the DVD with all the videos that came from this album. This album had a heavy impact in 1994, is a classic and is a must have for any hip hop collection. Most of these songs are rehashed into choppy verses on his postmothous albums unfortunately. But this is where most of them origonally came from. Biggies legacy helped influenced a laundry list your favorite rappers today, who bite his style. That alone should explain how this impacted hip hop. Word.

Rest In Peace Biggie Smalls

Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A+
Musical Vibes: A
Overall: A+

Favorite Tracks: Give Me The Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Warning, One More Chance, Juicy, Every Day Struggle, Me & My B*tch, Big Poppa, Respect, Friend Of Mine, Suicidal Thoughts

Peace!

December 13, 2006

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