The rapper elects to lie in wait: needless to say, it doesn’t end well for his would-be assailants.
In a genre where hype is so often misplaced, I’m glad to hear an album that deserves every bit of credit it’s been given.A beautifully concise bit of storytelling, complete with an impressively naturalistic conversational interlude during which Biggie, in character as a friend, informs himself that someone has taken a hit out on him. I wasn’t sure if this album was going to stick with me coming in, but it felt surprisingly fresh and different. In hindsight, we were lucky to get two lengthy albums from B.I.G. In my opinion, short albums usually have better replay value and are more cohesive. I loved the semi-autobiographical theme that remains constant throughout the album, but it’s a little bit long for my taste. One area where I feel this album fell short is the overall composition. From mimicked cadences to slightly altered bars, I found myself more familiar with a lot of the songs than I expected to be. has had on every rapper that’s come after him. It amazed me to hear the massive influence B.I.G. Overall, I would say this is the best album of 1994.
cemented himself as one of the best lyricists of all time on Ready to Die. Illmatic, though, it’s hard to believe both albums came out in ‘94.įrom the lyrical showcases of “Unbelievable” and “The What” to the more personal storytelling found in “Respect” and “Everyday Struggle,” B.I.G. When I listen to the variety in production and cadence on Ready to Die vs. There are a lot of awesome rappers from the ‘90s, but I’ll be the first to admit that hip-hop often ages poorly. gives us a glimpse into his life and mind.Įven though I’m just familiarizing myself with this album, it’s one of the most timeless formative albums to me. This theme is explored more throughout the album as B.I.G. “Things Done Changed” paints a perfect picture of the changes New York (and many large cities) underwent during the crack epidemic. I’ve heard, I just haven’t found time to listen through his albums from start to finish - until now.įrom the moment I started the album, two things stuck out to me: Biggie’s smooth flow and the amazing production. And I try to catch up on everything I miss, but there’s been a lot of dope Hip-Hop in the past two decades. I grew up in a rural town with 3,000 people who didn’t like Hip-Hop unless it was on MTV or from California in the ‘90s. It’s not that I don’t like Biggie, but I’m a 22-year-old white kid from Oregon. But somehow, I’ve committed the cardinal sin of overlooking what many would call the best album of ‘94: Ready to Die. From the hard-hitting debuts of OutKast and Nas to Common’s smooth sophomore effort, Resurrection, there was no shortage of dope music. (Editor’s Note: Micah Drago is a 22-year old writer that recently listened to Ready To Die and Life After Death for the first time this year.) (AllHipHop Special Review)1994 was a great year for Hip-Hop.
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