Arguably the most notable track of the album, Juicy, is a nod to his origin story, a shoutout to those struggling and a not so subtle reminder to everyone around him, of what he’s done to achieve greatness. Furthermore, due to several copyright issues concerning some of the samples used, the versions able to be heard today are different to the original tracks.īut then there are the moments of triumph: the cuts that placed Biggie at the centre of the rap world when he was alive and ensured that - even in death - his artistry would be forever celebrated. Ready to Die is littered with crude sexism and skits that can be an uncomfortable listen in-between the rhythmic fire and storytelling substance of the rest of the album.įor example, a track titled Respect ends with a close mic’d recording of simulated fellatio, achieving little more for the album than disgusting the listener. However, certain aspects of the album have not aged particularly well. While Ready to Die was Biggie’s first and final album, and its long track-list is frozen in time, a perfect snapshot of the late rappers life.
While this frustrated Biggie, some of the albums most notable tracks such as Juicy and Big Poppa are the result of these decisions. While Biggie’s power to captivate the listener comes largely from his in your face and thuggish sound, Diddy ensured that the album had a balance of tracks focused more around hooks and radio playability, to entice audiences. Diddy’s played no small role in the album’s production and its subsequent wide appeal and commercial success. With the neighborhood crews, hanging on the avenues
“Lounging at the barbecues, drinking brews His entire neighbourhood is now clouded by a storm of gunfire and death, a stark difference to his fond memories of backyard barbecues. Straight out the gates is Things Done Changed, a dark track that takes the listener into Biggie’s troubled mind. The album’s 18 tracks act like short stories that explore the very real experiences of its creator. The entirety of Ready to Die feels like a heartbeat, the different rhythms marking changes in intensity that reflect the lyrical context. “You won’t see me up in this muthafucka no more! I got big plans n****! Big plans! Hahahaha!”īiggie was ready to shake the world to its core, like a semi-trailer, horn screaming and brakes cut. “Yeah, you’ll be back! You n****s always are!”
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