Sparring with Wu-Tang swordsman Method Man on Ready to DieвЂ™s вЂњThe What,вЂќ Biggie declared, вЂњN****s, know they soft like a Twinkie filling / playing the villain, prepare for this rap killing.вЂќ Meth and B.I.G. to Big Poppa in his ascension to the top of the Billboard charts.Д®ven with an impressive succession of hit singles to accompany his acclaimed debut album, he reined undefeated in collaborations during a period that spanned arguably the most competitive period for true lyricism. Cocky enough to frequently reference his optical disadvantages, his lyrical ability alone helped him transition from Biggie Smalls to The Notorious B.I.G. seemed to effortlessly connect with audiences by being relatable (вЂњIt was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazineвЂќ), inspirational (вЂњI made the change from a common thief / to up close and personal with Robin LeachвЂќ), or charming (вЂњHowever, living better now / Coogi sweater now / Drop top BMвЂ™s, IвЂ™m the man girlfriendвЂќ). Having sharpened his teeth alongside some of the ravenous rap dogs in the pits of the New York underground rhyme scene, Biggie made it obvious by the summer of 1994 on the star-studded remix of label mate Craig MackвЂ™s hit вЂњFlava in Ya EarвЂќ that he had every intention of securing the role of Bad BoyвЂ™s top shotta with well delivered punch lines like вЂњyou mad вЂcause my style youвЂ™re admiring, donвЂ™t be mad UPS is hiring.вЂќД«y the time Ready to Die hit, B.I.G.

His husky baritone transported you into his childhood classrooms and into the streets of Brooklyn for vivid episodes of his early mischief and delinquency. From proclaiming that he вЂњwas a terror since the public school eraвЂќ over the Easy Mo Bee produced вЂњParty & BullshitвЂќ which opened the WhoвЂ™s the Man soundtrack in 1993, he showed that his lyrical ability had already developed as an instrument capable of captivating audiencesвЂ™ imaginations.

Heralded among the elite group of potential saviors of East Coast rap in the early вЂ90s along with Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan, B.I.G.вЂ™s flow revealed not one flaw between his debut as Biggie Smalls back in 1992 and his untimely death in 1997. With mixed emotions of enjoying B.I.G.вЂ™s signature lyricism and the expansive arrangement of the double LP, the experience of listening to the album was solemn, as the best moments solidified that we may have just lost the best to ever formulate rhyme schemes.

Only two weeks after receiving the news of Christopher WallaceвЂ™s death, grief now accompanied the anticipation for the long awaited follow-up to B.I.G.вЂ™s classic 1994 debut Ready to Die. Twenty-five years ago, the concepts of hip-hop fact versus fiction intersected like never before with the posthumous release of The Notorious B.I.G.вЂ™s sophomore album, eerily titled Life After Death. The lines often blur on whether art imitates real life, or real life imitates art.

Sadly, life beyond the lyrics of hip-hop music is sometimes filled with as much tragedy as the vivid street stories its artists recount about the harshness of life inside our inner cities. Happy 25th Anniversary to The Notorious B.I.G.вЂ™s second & final studio album Life After Death, originally released March 25, 1997.

The notorious big ready to die zip