#18 - Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

Release Year: 1994

Genre: Gangsta Rap

How much do I like my favorite track on the album? 13.6 points

Ready to Die

Mixing is on point. Ethereal qualities. Funky. Simple. There's also this prophetic sense to this song that I can't overlook. The use of time and space is incredible. A soothing listening experience. I’m ready to die. God damn. It hurts so good.

How did/does this album influence my own taste in music overall? 12.8 points

I grew up in a time that you were either Team Biggie or Team Tupac. I rolled with Biggie. I almost exclusively like East Coast rappers (I’ll make exception here for. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg), which will show up more times later on this list. That’s the influence of this album.

Does this album hold up since its release? 13.6 points

This is a complicated answer. A lot of what we know and have for Biggie is a small sample, because he passed away so young. I do think this album, even sans the nostalgia/what could have been factor, would have stood the test of time.

What percentage of the album do I listen to? 7.9 points

Undeniable bangers, but also some skippers. And some skippers of a lot of poor album transitions (60 seconds of near dead sound on some of the tracks).

What did/do the critics think of this album? 8 points

Critics are pretty fond of Biggie, generally speaking. Some of their assessments are similar to mine, which is that because his rapping is so clear you have an opportunity to actually hear and understand his messaging in a different way than many others in the category.

What is the sentimental value to me of the album? 12.8 points

As one of the albums that made me fall in love with rap, it will always hold a place for that.

What was the artists involvement of the production of the album - songwriting, instrumentals, vocals, uniqueness? 13.6 points

Biggie has writing and production credits on all the tracks. Some excellent sampling choices and really consistent sound.

Overall Rating out of 100 points = 82.3 points

Oh, what could have been. If you could ever call rap “accessible”, this would be it. The way he delivers lines is clear, simple, and allows you to really follow the story. And karaoke with it, if you wanted to. Christopher Wallace has some of the clearest diction you can find in all the rap world. The chorus on “Juicy” - don’t let em hold you down, reach for the stars. On “Big Poppa”, I challenge you to NOT sing along instinctively along with the chorus, throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player. “Respect” uses some of the sounds from an earlier release and my all time favorite Biggie song, “Party and Bullshit”. This album is filled with classic 90s east coast rap motifs - in one of the more uncluttered forms. The production on this album is also top notch, if you listen to other albums produced at this time they tend to be really filled with a lot of busy noise, and this cuts that down, and still fills the whole wide world of sound.