The Notorious B.I.G.
Ready To Die

I was a bit surprised when I discovered that among the nearly 32,000 reviews written on this site, there isn't even one for this album, which I would undoubtedly define as not only one of the greatest in the history of hip-hop, but of music in general. Today I want to address this situation. 

Perhaps it's wrong to begin a review with such a statement, there’s a risk that the listener may have expectations that are too high, but I am not afraid to disappoint, this work deserves the definition of masterpiece. Ready to Die is the debut album of the 22-year-old Christopher George Latore Wallace, known to everyone by the pseudonyms Biggie Smalls and The Notorious B.I.G.. In 1994, a year for which I will always be grateful for the wealth of masterpieces passed down to us, Ready to Die, along with two other milestone “made in NYC” records, namely Illmatic by the young Nas and Stress: The Extinction Agenda by Organized Konfusion, had the merit of bringing the East Coast scene back to the forefront at a time when the G-Funk from Compton and its surroundings was dominating. As we all know, unfortunately, the growing competition led to an all-out war that culminated in the killings of 2Pac and Biggie, two of the main figures of the two scenes.

But it is this album I want to talk about, which had, after all, created its legend before the death of its author. It’s a masterpiece of Gangsta Hip-Hop, the most popular genre at the time. The exploits are celebrated that fans already know, from robberies to shootouts to sexual encounters with prostitutes. In Ready To Die, Biggie showcases all his talents, both as an MC and performer. Let me explain, what distinguishes this album from many others produced in the first half of the '90s is the charisma possessed by this artist, a quality not everyone possesses, that adds to his undeniable skills on the microphone. The beats are fun and engaging, the flow is of an extraordinary quality, the rhythm is perfect, the rhymes are razor-sharp and they’re delivered at a blazing speed. But Biggie doesn’t just rap, no, his is a show within a show because in this album we also find different ways of narrating stories that are only apparently the same. For example, in "Gimme the Loot," you can almost feel the passion and violence with which Biggie and his men literally robbed anyone, while in "Suicidal Thoughts," the same dynamics are recounted in a different light, with a touch of sadness because he knows he’s done some wrong things in his life and disappointed his mother. If in "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance," Biggie presents himself as the usual gangsta pimp, in "Me & My Bitch" and "Friends of Mine" the true relationships between the man and his companions emerge.

All the tracks are of quality, particularly in the first half, where nearly unbeatable heights in the genre are reached. The only flaw is that the album lasts over an hour, which could represent a potential limit for those who are not fond of the genre and have a lesser time tolerance. Instead, for those who love it, there are no problems, since, again, the quality is very high across all tracks except for the skits, from which little is expected anyway. Biggie is the only MC present, except for one track, "The What," where the only guest, Method Man, appears, in one of his best performances on the microphone, in my opinion. Ultimately, an extraordinary album that all music lovers should listen to. I close with a deserved mention of what is considered the album's flagship track, "Juicy," which represents an autobiography of the author, describing his life from childhood, his contacts with crime, and the fame achieved thanks to hip-hop, which allowed Biggie a partial redemption. Partial because, more than dealing at 12 years old, more than dropping out of school, more than crime, it was precisely "music" that caused his end, still mourned today, 15 years later.