Biggie Smalls is the lllest. It is hard to believe Biggie was murdered 16
years ago. Life After Death (LAD) was
released just after he passed away in 1997.
Some say that this album is the best double CD of all time. If you look at it on a song-for-song basis,
the argument can be made and pretty well substantiated that they are
right. This album has everything a great
album must possess, including lyricism, humor, storytelling, competitive jabs,
stellar production, great collaborations and great song placement.
This week, I (SOM) will be
discussing disc two, while my boy (CTO) will be discussing disc one.
CTO: Disc One
This is the Greatest Double CD of
All-Time; Bar none. No disrespect to “All Eyez on Me” but this album inspired
so many artists to drop double CDs even though they did not have the content to
back it up. Without further ado…Disc 1
Life After Death
This is an eerie omen to BIG’s demise in LA. This is also from the era
of the mid to late 90s when there were way too many interludes in rap songs.
Again: everything, including the interludes were before its time.
Somebody’s Gotta
Die
Great song; this is a sequel to Ready to Die; BIG is telling a story
about the perils of the street and hood; a place where confrontations happen
instantaneously. This song speaks to anyone who had a longstanding foe.
Metaphorically, someone had to go and when in a jam, everyone always chooses
themselves over an adversary; BIG was no different.
Hypnotize
Well documented single; Not enough words
to describe what this means but this is one of the anthems of flossy and glossy
rap of the late 1990s. That video was real too.
Kick In the Door
A true diss song; BIG alerts Hip-Hop/NY that he is the new top MC; “Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns…” This is what hip-hop toasting is about. No names were mentioned but he dissed a few cats including Nas and Tupac on wax. Nas also describes this moment in “Last Real N*** Alive” and “We Will Survive.” It is transcendent music.
A true diss song; BIG alerts Hip-Hop/NY that he is the new top MC; “Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns…” This is what hip-hop toasting is about. No names were mentioned but he dissed a few cats including Nas and Tupac on wax. Nas also describes this moment in “Last Real N*** Alive” and “We Will Survive.” It is transcendent music.
F**k You Tonight (Ft. R. Kelly)
Classic R&B track. This was my first real encounter with R Kelly in Hip Hop. 2 Hall of Famers made this an immediate party stopper back then (and still does).
Classic R&B track. This was my first real encounter with R Kelly in Hip Hop. 2 Hall of Famers made this an immediate party stopper back then (and still does).
Last Day (Ft.
LOX)
LOX’s coming out party. Back when people thought Sheek was the best. Not a typo. This song is actually very similar to many tracks on the posthumous “Notorious” in which BIG’s lyrics were mixed with a lot of the Bad Boy Family.
LOX’s coming out party. Back when people thought Sheek was the best. Not a typo. This song is actually very similar to many tracks on the posthumous “Notorious” in which BIG’s lyrics were mixed with a lot of the Bad Boy Family.
Love the Dough
(Ft. Jay-Z)
This is Brooklyn. This was Jay when he
was hungry & needed to prove himself to the best rapper out. Who won?
Hip-hop did. This song spoke to the East Coast in 96-97: A lyrical masterpiece
by both rappers. Song still puts you in a good mood to ride through your
neighborhood.
What's Beef
Most of us cannot relate to this song. This song was too real; Real beef ends lives. RIP to the legends that put everything into their rhymes. Puffy talking $#*! in the background doesn’t make things better.
Most of us cannot relate to this song. This song was too real; Real beef ends lives. RIP to the legends that put everything into their rhymes. Puffy talking $#*! in the background doesn’t make things better.
Mo' Money, Mo' Problems
One of the greatest hip-hop singles ever made. This
song literally played on the radio for over a year. The video was retired by
TRL 10x over. We all know the words and it’s almost a rite of passage into the
hip-hop community if you know this song. BIG's verse at the end capped off the
height of the Bad Boy era.
Ni**as Bleed
"Today's agenda, got the suitcase up in the Sentra..."
BIG delivers impeccable flow to tell another story of the dope game; it’s a
microcosm of the fragility of life in the trap. Nothing is guaranteed and this
song helps illustrate the perils of the "Everyday Struggle."
I Got a Story to
Tell
Was this fact or fiction? Most thought it was a good story but BIG always finds a way to make a story come to life through verbose jabs and punch lines. BIG shows his versatility on this track by making a story real to anyone who has been in a jam.
Was this fact or fiction? Most thought it was a good story but BIG always finds a way to make a story come to life through verbose jabs and punch lines. BIG shows his versatility on this track by making a story real to anyone who has been in a jam.
In all, BIG predicted his demise but before he left us, he gave the world a classic CD for us to vibe with. A true legend, he had versatility throughout this album and his lyrics have stood the test of time. Sixteen years later, we still reminisce over you.
SOM: Disc Two
Cleveland
to . . .
Disc two is my favorite of the
two discs on LAD. From the first track, Notorious Thugs, BIG takes you on a hip-hop
journey. To fully appreciate BIG’s
genius on this song, it is important to understand its context. In 1997, Bone was one of the biggest hip hop
groups and was still riding the wave of success generated by their East 1999 Album release. Bone’s Cleveland influenced style helped them
stand out among their peers. Despite this reputation, Big is the biggest star
(pun intended) on this song. BIG took
their Cleveland style, sprinkled a little Brooklyn into the pot and the rest is
history.
California to . . .
BIG then took you from the
Midwest to California. Going Back to Cali is a phenomenal
song. Unfortunately, I believe it set
the tone for what would become BIG’s last days.
This song is an ode to California and seemingly his attempt to squash the
beef with the West Coast. The song is
fast paced. And, despite his homage to
California, he made it clear that if he had to choose a coast, he would choose
the East.
The
Block to . . .
On Ten Crack Commandments, BIG displayed his well-known creativity. He took one of the most well known religious
doctrines, the Ten Commandments, and transformed it into a song about the dope game. In less than four minutes, he succinctly and thoroughly
described how to survive and flourish in the game. Which Commandment is
your favorite? Commandment number two is
my favorite. “ . . . never let em know
your next move, don’t you know bad boys move in silence. . . ?”
V.I.P
to . . .
Sky’s
The Limit is a
rags-to-riches story captured through BIG’s Versace lenses. BIG gave you a
glimpse into his childhood and discussed his struggles with poverty. And, 112 absolutely owned the hook. BIG had a way of telling stories that could be
appreciated and understood by all. If
this song does not make you feel good about life and about making tomorrow
better than today, you might want to check your pulse because you might be
dead.
Verbal
Warfare to . . .
Just when you thought BIG was getting soft, he gave you Long Kiss Goodnight. Some controversy surrounds this song (well, not really). Puffy has maintained that BIG never replied to Tupac’s taunts, but despite his comments, this song is clearly a direct shot at Pac. It is filled with subliminal jabs at Tupac. Puffy’s ad-libs are very telling as well. Puffy said “ . . . and we ain’t talking about no other rappers, we are talking to you, motherf**ker. . . “ Who was BIG’s rival? Then, BIG rapped “when my men bust, you must move with such stamina, slugs missed you, I ain’t mad at cha, we ain’t mad at cha.” That is clearly a reference to Tupac’s famous song, I Ain’t Mad at Cha and also a reference to the infamous Quad Studios shooting. Also, despite Puffy’s denial of the song’s target, Lil Cease, who was one of BIG’s closest friends, admitted that that song was aimed at Pac. It seems fitting that BIG’s response would be subliminal because he was such an artist—a tactician if you will. He played chess while others played checkers.
Just when you thought BIG was getting soft, he gave you Long Kiss Goodnight. Some controversy surrounds this song (well, not really). Puffy has maintained that BIG never replied to Tupac’s taunts, but despite his comments, this song is clearly a direct shot at Pac. It is filled with subliminal jabs at Tupac. Puffy’s ad-libs are very telling as well. Puffy said “ . . . and we ain’t talking about no other rappers, we are talking to you, motherf**ker. . . “ Who was BIG’s rival? Then, BIG rapped “when my men bust, you must move with such stamina, slugs missed you, I ain’t mad at cha, we ain’t mad at cha.” That is clearly a reference to Tupac’s famous song, I Ain’t Mad at Cha and also a reference to the infamous Quad Studios shooting. Also, despite Puffy’s denial of the song’s target, Lil Cease, who was one of BIG’s closest friends, admitted that that song was aimed at Pac. It seems fitting that BIG’s response would be subliminal because he was such an artist—a tactician if you will. He played chess while others played checkers.
Death to . . .
Just when you thought BIG did not have anything else for the hardcore fans, he gave you You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You). In this song, BIG addressed truisms and foreshadowed his untimely demise. During the weeks and months leading to Tupac and Biggie’s deaths, they both obsessed with the concept of death. I remember BIG’s last television interview with Joe Clair on Rap City before his death. In hindsight, he seemed reflective and ready to move on with his life. It was like the scene from Carlito’s Way when Carlito realized he could not escape his past when Benny Blanco came looking for him. During the interview, he discussed his fear that someone was trying to kill him. My favorite line from the song is “ . . . You can be the sh*t, flash the fattest 5, have the biggest d**k, but when your shell gets hit, you ain’t worth spit, just a memory . . . “ Maybe BIG was right.
Just when you thought BIG did not have anything else for the hardcore fans, he gave you You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You). In this song, BIG addressed truisms and foreshadowed his untimely demise. During the weeks and months leading to Tupac and Biggie’s deaths, they both obsessed with the concept of death. I remember BIG’s last television interview with Joe Clair on Rap City before his death. In hindsight, he seemed reflective and ready to move on with his life. It was like the scene from Carlito’s Way when Carlito realized he could not escape his past when Benny Blanco came looking for him. During the interview, he discussed his fear that someone was trying to kill him. My favorite line from the song is “ . . . You can be the sh*t, flash the fattest 5, have the biggest d**k, but when your shell gets hit, you ain’t worth spit, just a memory . . . “ Maybe BIG was right.
If you have never listened to this
album, please do so. Be ready to go on a
journey that takes you through BIG’s life, death and then his Life After Death.
Peace
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