Wallace in 1995 | |
Born | May 21, 1972 New York City, New York, U.S. |
---|---|
Died | March 9, 1997 (aged 24) |
Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
Occupation | Rapper |
Years active | 1992–1997 |
Spouse(s) | Faith Evans (m. 1994; |
Children | 2, including C. J. |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Labels | |
Associated acts |
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), known professionally as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or Biggie,[1] was an American rapper. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time.[2]
Wallace was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. His debut album Ready to Die (1994) made him a central figure in East Coast hip hop and increased New York City's visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast hip hop dominated the mainstream.[3] The following year, he led Junior M.A.F.I.A.—a protégé group composed of his childhood friends—to chart success. In 1996, while recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud. On March 9, 1997, he was murdered by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His second album, Life After Death (1997), released two weeks later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. In 2000, it became one of the few hip-hop albums to be certified Diamond.[4]
Wallace was noted for his 'loose, easy flow';[5] dark, semi-autobiographical lyrics; and storytelling abilities, which focused on crime and hardship. Three more albums have been released since his death, and he has certified sales of over 17 million records in the United States,[6] including 13.4 million albums.[7]
- 1Life and career
- 4Musical style
- 5Legacy
- 6Discography
- 7Media
Life and career
1972–1991: Early life and arrests
Wallace was born at St. Mary's Hospital in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on May 21, 1972, the only child of Jamaican immigrant parents. His mother, Voletta Wallace, was a preschool teacher, while his father, Selwyn George Latore, was a welder and politician.[8][9] His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, and his mother worked two jobs while raising him. Wallace grew up at 226 St. James Place in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill,[10] near the border with Bedford-Stuyvesant.[8][11] Wallace excelled at Queen of All Saints Middle School winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed 'Big' because he was overweight by the age of 10.[12] Wallace said he started dealing drugs when he was around the age of 12. His mother, often away at work, did not know of his drug dealing until he was an adult.[13] He began rapping as a teenager, entertaining people on the streets, and performed with local groups the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques.[3] At his request, Wallace transferred from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School to George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, where future rappers DMX, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes were also attending. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student but developed a 'smart-ass' attitude at the new school.[9] At age 17, Wallace dropped out of school and became more involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation.[14] A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in jail before making bail.[13]
1991–1994: Early career and first child
After being released from jail, Wallace made a demo tape called 'Microphone Murderer', under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again as well as his stature; he stood at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and weighed 300 to 380 lb (140–170 kg) according to differing accounts.[15] The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal. However, it was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and in 1992 it was heard by the editor of The Source.[14] In March 1992, Wallace was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, and made a recording off the back of this success.[16] The demo tape was heard by Uptown RecordsA&R and record producer Sean Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Wallace. He was signed to Uptown immediately and made an appearance on label mates Heavy D & the Boyz's 'A Buncha Niggas' (from the album Blue Funk).[3][17] Soon after Wallace signed his recording contract, Combs was fired from Uptown and started a new label, Bad Boy Records.[18] Wallace followed and signed to the label in mid-1992.[19]
On August 8, 1993, Wallace's longtime girlfriend gave birth to his first child, T'yanna.[19] Wallace had split with the girlfriend some time before T'yanna's birth.[20] Despite having dropped out of high school himself, Wallace wanted his daughter to complete her education. He promised her 'everything she wanted', saying that if his mother had promised him the same he would have graduated at the top of his class.[21] He continued selling drugs after the birth to support his daughter financially. Once Combs discovered this, he forced Wallace to quit.[3] Later in the year, Wallace, recording as the Notorious B.I.G., gained exposure after featuring on a remix to Mary J. Blige's single 'Real Love'. He recorded under this name for the remainder of his career, after finding the original moniker 'Biggie Smalls' was already in use.[22] 'Real Love' peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was followed by a remix of Blige's 'What's the 411?'. He continued this success, to a lesser extent, on remixes with Neneh Cherry ('Buddy X') and reggae artist Super Cat ('Dolly My Baby', also featuring Combs) in 1993. In April 1993, his solo track, 'Party and Bullshit', appeared on the Who's the Man? soundtrack.[23] In July 1994, he appeared alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix to label mate Craig Mack's 'Flava in Ya Ear', which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[24]
1994: Ready to Die and marriage to Faith Evans
On August 4, 1994, Wallace married R&B singer Faith Evans after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[25] Five days later, Wallace had his first pop chart success as a solo artist with double A-side, 'Juicy / Unbelievable', which reached No. 27 as the lead single to his debut album.[26]
Ready to Die was released on September 13, 1994. It reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart[27] and was eventually certified four times Platinum.[28] The album shifted attention back to East Coast hip hop at a time when West Coast hip hop dominated US charts.[29] It gained strong reviews and has received much praise in retrospect.[29][30] In addition to 'Juicy', the record produced two hit singles: the Platinum-selling 'Big Poppa', which reached No. 1 on the U.S. rap chart,[5] and 'One More Chance', which sold 1.1 million copies in 1995.[31][32]Busta Rhymes claimed to have seen Wallace giving out free copies of Ready to Die from his home, which Rhymes reasoned as 'his way of marketing himself'.[33]
Around the time of the album's release, Wallace became friends with a fellow rapper named Tupac Shakur. Cousin Lil' Cease recalled the pair as close, often traveling together whenever they were not working. According to him, Wallace was a frequent guest at Shakur's home and they spent time together when Shakur was in California or Washington, D.C.[34]Yukmouth, an Oakland emcee, claimed that Wallace's style was inspired by Shakur.[35] Wallace also befriended basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal said they were introduced during a listening session for 'Gimme the Loot'; Wallace mentioned him in the lyrics and thereby attracted O'Neal to his music. O'Neal requested a collaboration with Wallace, which resulted in the song 'You Can't Stop the Reign'. According to Combs, Wallace would not collaborate with 'anybody he didn't really respect' and that Wallace paid O'Neal his respect by 'shouting him out'.[36] In 2015, Daz Dillinger, a frequent Shakur collaborator, said that he and Wallace were 'cool', with Wallace traveling to meet him to smoke cannabis and record two songs.[37]
1995: Junior M.A.F.I.A., Conspiracy and coastal feud
In August 1995, Wallace's protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. ('Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes'), released their debut album Conspiracy. The group consisted of his friends from childhood and included rappers such as Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, who went on to have solo careers.[38] The record went Gold and its singles, 'Player's Anthem' and 'Get Money', both featuring Wallace, went Gold and Platinum. Wallace continued to work with R&B artists, collaborating with R&B groups 112 (on 'Only You') and Total (on 'Can't You See'), with both reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. By the end of the year, Wallace was the top-selling male solo artist and rapper on the U.S. pop and R&B charts.[3] In July 1995, he appeared on the cover of The Source with the caption 'The King of New York Takes Over', a reference to his Frank White alias from the 1990 film King of New York. At the Source Awards in August 1995, he was named Best New Artist (Solo), Lyricist of the Year, Live Performer of the Year, and his debut Album of the Year.[39] At the Billboard Awards, he was Rap Artist of the Year.[14]
In his year of success, Wallace became involved in a rivalry between the East and West Coast hip hop scenes with Shakur, now his former friend. In an interview with Vibe in April 1995, while serving time in Clinton Correctional Facility, Shakur accused Uptown Records' founder Andre Harrell, Sean Combs, and Wallace of having prior knowledge of a robbery that resulted in him being shot five times and losing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry on the night of November 30, 1994. Though Wallace and his entourage were in the same Manhattan-based recording studio at the time of the shooting, they denied the accusation.[40] Wallace said: 'It just happened to be a coincidence that he [Shakur] was in the studio. He just, he couldn't really say who really had something to do with it at the time. So he just kinda' leaned the blame on me.'[41] In 2012, a man named Dexter Isaac, serving a life sentence for unrelated crimes, claimed that he attacked Shakur that night and that the robbery was orchestrated by entertainment industry executive and former drug trafficker, James Rosemond.[42]
Following his release from prison, Shakur signed to Death Row Records on October 15, 1995. This made Bad Boy Records and Death Row business rivals, and thus intensified the quarrel.[43]
1996: Collaboration with Michael Jackson, more arrests, accusations regarding Shakur's death, and second child
Wallace began recording his second studio album in September 1995 over 18 months in New York City, Trinidad, and Los Angeles. The recording was interrupted by injury, legal disputes, and a highly publicized hip hop dispute.[44] During this time, Wallace also worked with pop singer Michael Jackson on the album HIStory.[45]Lil' Cease later claimed that Wallace refused requests to meet Jackson, citing that he did not 'trust Michael with kids' following the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson.[46]
On March 23, 1996, Wallace was arrested outside a Manhattan nightclub for chasing and threatening to kill two fans seeking autographs, smashing the windows of their taxicab, and punching one of them.[14] He pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. In mid-1996, he was arrested at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, for drug and weapons possession charges.[14]
In June 1996, Shakur released 'Hit 'Em Up', a diss track in which he claimed to have had sex with Faith Evans, who was estranged from Wallace at the time, and that Wallace had copied his style and image. Wallace referenced the first claim on Jay-Z's 'Brooklyn's Finest', in which he raps: 'If Faye have twins, she'd probably have two 'Pacs. Get it? 2Pac's?' However, he did not directly respond to the track, stating in a 1997 radio interview that it was 'not [his] style' to respond.[41]
Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 7, 1996, and died six days later. Rumors of Wallace's involvement with Shakur's murder spread. In a 2002 Los Angeles Times series titled 'Who Killed Tupac Shakur?', based on police reports and multiple sources, Chuck Philips reported that the shooting was carried out by a Compton gang, the Southside Crips, to avenge a beating by Shakur hours earlier, and that Wallace had paid for the gun.[47][48]Los Angeles Times editor Mark Duvoisin wrote that 'Philips' story has withstood all challenges to its accuracy, .. [and] remains the definitive account of the Shakur slaying.'[49] Wallace's family denied the report,[50] producing documents purporting to show that he was in New York and New Jersey at the time. However, The New York Times called the documents inconclusive, stating:
The pages purport to be three computer printouts from Daddy's House, indicating that Wallace was in the studio recording a song called Nasty Boy on the night Shakur was shot. They indicate that Wallace wrote half the session, was in and out/sat around and laid down a ref, shorthand for a reference vocal, the equivalent of a first take. But nothing indicates when the documents were created. And Louis Alfred, the recording engineer listed on the sheets, said in an interview that he remembered recording the song with Wallace in a late-night session, not during the day. He could not recall the date of the session but said it was likely not the night Shakur was shot. We would have heard about it, Mr. Alfred said.'[51]
Evans remembered her husband calling her on the night of Shakur's death and crying from shock. She said: 'I think it's fair to say he was probably afraid, given everything that was going on at that time and all the hype that was put on this so-called beef that he didn't really have in his heart against anyone.' Wayne Barrow, Wallace's co-manager at the time, said Wallace was recording the track 'Nasty Girl' the night Shakur was shot.[52] Shortly after Shakur's death, he met with Snoop Dogg, who claimed that Wallace played the song 'Somebody Gotta Die' for him, in which Snoop Dogg was mentioned, and declared he never hated Shakur.[53]
On October 29, 1996, Evans gave birth to Wallace's son, Christopher 'C.J.' Wallace, Jr.[19] The following month, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Kim released her debut album, Hard Core, under Wallace's direction while the two were having a 'love affair'.[3] Lil' Kim recalled being Wallace's 'biggest fan' and 'his pride and joy'.[54] In a 2012 interview, Lil' Kim said Wallace had prevented her from making a remix of the Jodeci single 'Love U 4 Life' by locking her in a room. According to her, Wallace said that she was not 'gonna go do no song with them,'[55] likely because of the group's affiliation with Tupac and Death Row Records.
1997: Life After Death and car accident
During the recording for his second album, Life After Death, Wallace and Lil' Cease were arrested for smoking marijuana in public and had their car repossessed. Wallace chose a Chevrolet Lumina rental car as a substitute, despite Lil' Cease's objections. The car had brake problems but Wallace dismissed them.[56] The car collided with a rail, shattering Wallace's left leg and Lil' Cease's jaw. Wallace spent months in a hospital following the accident; he was temporarily confined to a wheelchair,[3] forced to use a cane,[40] and had to complete therapy. Despite his hospitalization, he continued to work on the album. The accident was referred to in the lyrics of 'Long Kiss Goodnight': 'Ya still tickle me, I used to be as strong as Ripple be / Til Lil' Cease crippled me.'[57]
In January 1997, Wallace was ordered to pay US$41,000 in damages following an incident involving a friend of a concert promoter who claimed Wallace and his entourage beat him following a dispute in May 1995.[58] He faced criminal assault charges for the incident, which remains unresolved, but all robbery charges were dropped.[14] Following the events, Wallace spoke of a desire to focus on his 'peace of mind' and his family and friends.[59]
Death
In February 1997, Wallace traveled to California to promote Life After Death and record a music video for its lead single, 'Hypnotize'. On March 5, 1997, he gave a radio interview with The Dog House on KYLD in San Francisco. In the interview he stated that he had hired a security detail since he feared for his safety; but that this was due to being a celebrity figure in general, not specifically because he was a rapper.[60]
On March 8, 1997, Wallace presented an award to Toni Braxton at the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards in Los Angeles and was booed by some of the audience.[40] After the ceremony, he attended an afterparty hosted by Vibe and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.[40] Guests included Evans, Aaliyah, Combs, and members of the Crips and Bloods gangs.[12]
On March 9, 1997, at 12:30 a.m. (PST), after the fire department closed the party early due to overcrowding, Wallace left with his entourage in two GMC Suburbans to return to his hotel.[61] He traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates, Damion 'D-Roc' Butler, Lil' Cease and driver Gregory 'G-Money' Young. Combs traveled in the other vehicle with three bodyguards. The two trucks were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy's director of security,[12] Paul Offord.[62]
By 12:45 a.m. (PST), the streets were crowded with people leaving the party. Wallace's truck stopped at a red light 50 yards (46 m) from the museum. A black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside Wallace's truck. The driver of the Impala, an African-American male dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the GMC Suburban. Four bullets hit Wallace. His entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. (PST).[12]
Wallace's funeral was held on March 18, 1997, at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan. There were among 350 mourners at the funeral, including Queen Latifah, Flava Flav, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Lil' Cease, Run–D.M.C., DJ Kool Herc, Treach from Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhymes, Salt-N-Pepa, DJ Spinderella, Foxy Brown, Sister Souljah and others. After the funeral, his body was cremated and the ashes were given to his family.[63]
Posthumous releases
Sixteen days after his death, Wallace's double-disc second album was released as planned with the shortened title of Life After Death and hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, after making a premature appearance at No. 176 due to street-date violations. The record album featured a much wider range of guests and producers than its predecessor.[64] It gained strong reviews and in 2000 was certified Diamond, the highest RIAA certification awarded to a solo hip hop album.
Its lead single, 'Hypnotize', was the last music video recording in which Wallace would participate. His biggest chart success was with its follow-up 'Mo Money Mo Problems', featuring Sean Combs (under the rap alias 'Puff Daddy') and Mase. Both singles reached No. 1 in the Hot 100, making Wallace the first artist to achieve this feat posthumously.[3] The third single, 'Sky's The Limit', featuring the band 112, was noted for its use of children in the music video, directed by Spike Jonze, who were used to portray Wallace and his contemporaries, including Combs, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes. Wallace was named Artist of the Year and 'Hypnotize' Single of the Year by Spin magazine in December 1997.[65]
In mid-1997, Combs released his debut album, No Way Out, which featured Wallace on five songs, notably on the third single 'Victory'. The most prominent single from the record album was 'I'll Be Missing You', featuring Combs, Faith Evans and 112, which was dedicated to Wallace's memory. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Life After Death and its first two singles received nominations in the rap category. The album award was won by Combs's No Way Out and 'I'll Be Missing You' won the award in the category of Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group in which 'Mo Money Mo Problems' was nominated.[66]
In 1996, Wallace started putting together a hip hop supergroup, the Commission, which consisted himself, Jay-Z, Lil' Cease, Combs, and Charli Baltimore. The Commission was mentioned by Wallace in the lyrics of 'What's Beef' on Life After Death and 'Victory' from No Way Out, but a Commission album was never completed. A track on Duets: The Final Chapter, 'Whatchu Want (The Commission)', featuring Jay-Z, was based on the group.
![Biggie Biggie](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HqLKpFicHdA/maxresdefault.jpg)
In December 1999, Bad Boy released Born Again. The album consisted of previously unreleased material mixed with new guest appearances, including many artists Wallace had never collaborated with in his lifetime. It gained some positive reviews, but received criticism for its unlikely pairings; The Source describing it as 'compiling some of the most awkward collaborations of his career'.[67] Nevertheless, the album sold 2 million copies. Wallace appeared on Michael Jackson's 2001 album, Invincible. Over the course of time, his vocals were heard on hit songs such as 'Foolish' and 'Realest Niggas' by Ashanti in 2002, and the song 'Runnin' (Dying to Live)' with Shakur the following year. In 2005, Duets: The Final Chapter continued the pattern started on Born Again, which was criticized for the lack of significant vocals by Wallace on some of its songs.[68][69] Its lead single 'Nasty Girl' became Wallace's first UK No. 1 single. Combs and Voletta Wallace have stated the album will be the last release primarily featuring new material.[70]
A duet album, The King & I, featuring Evans and Notorious B.I.G., was released on May 19, 2017, which largely contained previously unreleased music.[71]
Musical style
Wallace, accompanied by ad libs from Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs, uses onomatopoeicvocables and multi-syllabic rhymes on his 1995 collaboration with R&B group, 112. Wallace tells vivid stories about his everyday life as a criminal in Brooklyn (from Life After Death). | |
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Wallace mostly rapped on his songs in a deep tone described by Rolling Stone as a 'thick, jaunty grumble',[72] which went deeper on Life After Death.[73] He was often accompanied on songs with ad libs from Sean 'Puffy' Combs. In The Source's Unsigned Hype column, his style was described as 'cool, nasal, and filtered, to bless his own material'.[74]
AllMusic describe Wallace as having 'a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession'.[5]Time magazine wrote Wallace rapped with an ability to 'make multi-syllabic rhymes sound.. smooth',[30] while Krims describes Wallace's rhythmic style as 'effusive.'[75] Before starting a verse, Wallace sometimes used onomatopoeicvocables to 'warm up' (for example 'uhhh' at the beginning of 'Hypnotize' and 'Big Poppa', and 'whaat' after certain rhymes in songs such as 'My Downfall').[76]
Lateef of Latyrx notes that Wallace had, 'intense and complex flows',[77]Fredro Starr of Onyx says, 'Biggie was a master of the flow',[78] and Bishop Lamont states that Wallace mastered 'all the hemispheres of the music'.[79] He also often used the single-line rhyme scheme to add variety and interest to his flow.[77]Big Daddy Kane suggests that Wallace didn't need a large vocabulary to impress listeners – 'he just put his words together a slick way and it worked real good for him'.[80] Wallace was known to compose lyrics in his head, rather than write them down on paper, in a similar way to Jay-Z.[81][82]
Wallace would occasionally vary from his usual style. On 'Playa Hater' from his second album, he sang in a slow-falsetto.[83] On his collaboration with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 'Notorious Thugs', he modified his style to match the rapid rhyme flow of the group.
Themes and lyrics
Wallace's lyrical topics and themes included mafioso tales ('Niggas Bleed'), his drug-dealing past ('10 Crack Commandments'), materialistic bragging ('Hypnotize'), as well as humor ('Just Playing (Dreams)'),[84] and romance ('Me & My Bitch').[84]Rolling Stone named Wallace in 2004 as 'one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing credible love songs'.[73]
Ready To Die Album Sales
Guerilla Black, in the book How to Rap, describes how Wallace was able to both 'glorify the upper echelon'[85] and '[make] you feel his struggle'.[86] According to Touré of The New York Times in 1994, Wallace's lyrics '[mixed] autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty'.[13] Marriott of The New York Times (in 1997) believed his lyrics were not strictly autobiographical and wrote he 'had a knack for exaggeration that increased sales'.[14] Wallace described his debut as 'a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in my life involving bitches and niggaz.. from the beginning to the end'.[87]
Ready to Die is described by Rolling Stone as a contrast of 'bleak' street visions and being 'full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop'.[73]AllMusic write of 'a sense of doom' in some of his songs and the NY Times note some being 'laced with paranoia';[5][88] Wallace described himself as feeling 'broke and depressed' when he made his debut.[88] The final song on the album, 'Suicidal Thoughts', featured Wallace contemplating suicide and concluded with him committing the act.
On Life After Death, Wallace's lyrics went 'deeper'.[73] Krims explains how upbeat, dance-oriented tracks (which featured less heavily on his debut) alternate with 'reality rap' songs on the record and suggests that he was 'going pimp' through some of the lyrical topics of the former.[75]XXL magazine wrote that Wallace 'revamped his image' through the portrayal of himself between the albums, going from 'midlevel hustler' on his debut to 'drug lord'.[89]
AllMusic wrote that the success of Ready to Die is 'mostly due to Wallace's skill as a storyteller';[5] in 1994, Rolling Stone described Wallace's ability in this technique as painting 'a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene'.[29] On Life After Death, Wallace notably demonstrated this skill on 'I Got a Story to Tell', creating a story as a rap for the first half of the song and then retelling the same story 'for his boys' in conversation form.[83]
Legacy
Considered one of the best rappers of all time, Wallace was described by AllMusic as 'the savior of East Coast hip-hop'.[3]The Source magazine named Wallace the greatest rapper of all time in its 150th issue in 2002.[90][91] In 2003, when XXL magazine asked several hip hop artists to list their five favorite MCs, Wallace's name appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else. In 2006, MTV ranked him at No. 3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, calling him possibly 'the most skillful ever on the mic'.[92] Editors of About.com ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).[93] In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 3 on their list of the Top 50 Lyrical Leaders of all time.[94]Rolling Stone has referred to him as the 'greatest rapper that ever lived'.[95] In 2015, Billboard named Wallace as the greatest rapper of all time.[2]
Since his death, Wallace's lyrics have been sampled and quoted by a variety of hip hop, R&B and pop artists including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Game, Clinton Sparks, Michael Jackson and Usher. On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Sean Combs (then using the rap alias 'P. Diddy') and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Wallace: an orchestra played while the vocals from 'Juicy' and 'Warning' played on the arena speakers.[96] In September 2005, VH1 held its second annual 'Hip Hop Honors', with a tribute to Wallace headlining the show.[97]
Wallace had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to produce plus-sized clothing but fell dormant after he died. In 2004, his managers, Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, launched the clothing line, with help from Jay-Z, selling T-shirts with images of Wallace on them. A portion of the proceeds go to the Christopher Wallace Foundation and to Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.[98] In 2005, Voletta Wallace hired branding and licensing agency Wicked Cow Entertainment to guide the estate's licensing efforts.[99] Wallace-branded products on the market include action figures, blankets, and cell phone content.[100]
The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation holds an annual black-tie dinner ('B.I.G. Night Out') to raise funds for children's school equipment and to honor Wallace's memory. For this particular event, because it is a children's schools' charity, 'B.I.G.' is also said to stand for 'Books Instead of Guns'.[101]
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There is a large portrait mural of Wallace as Mao Zedong on Fulton Street in Brooklyn a half-mile west from Wallace's old block.[102] A fan petitioned to have the corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place, near Wallace's childhood home renamed in his honor, garnering support from local businesses and attracting more than 560 signatures.[102]
A large portrait of Wallace features prominently in the Netflix series Luke Cage, due to the fact that he served as muse for the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Marvel Comics character Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes.
Biopic
Notorious is a 2009 biographical film about Wallace and his life that stars rapper Jamal Woolard as Wallace. The film was directed by George Tillman Jr. and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Producers included Sean Combs, Wallace's former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, as well as Voletta Wallace.[103] On January 16, 2009, the movie's debut at the Grand 18 theater in Greensboro, North Carolina was postponed after a man was shot in the parking lot before the show.[104] The film received mixed reviews and grossed over $44 million worldwide.[105][106]
In early October 2007, open casting calls for the role of Wallace began.[107] Actors, rappers and unknowns all tried out. Beanie Sigel auditioned[108] for the role, but was not picked. Sean Kingston claimed that he would play the role of Wallace, but producers denied it.[109] Eventually, it was announced that rapper Jamal Woolard was chosen to play Wallace[110] while Wallace's son, Christopher Wallace Jr. was cast to play Wallace as a child.[111] Other cast members include Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur.[112] Bad Boy also released a soundtrack album to the film on January 13, 2009; the album contains many of Wallace's hit singles, including 'Hypnotize' and 'Juicy', as well as rarities.[113]
Discography
Studio albums
- Ready to Die (1994)
- Life After Death (1997)
Collaboration albums
- Conspiracywith Junior M.A.F.I.A. (1995)
Posthumous studio albums
- Born Again (1999)
- Duets: The Final Chapter (2005)
Posthumous collaboration albums
- The King & Iwith Faith Evans (2017)
Media
Filmography
- The Show (1995) as himself
- Rhyme & Reason (1997 documentary) as himself
- Biggie & Tupac (2002 documentary) archive footage
- Tupac Resurrection (2004) archive footage
- Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life (2007 documentary) archive footage
- Notorious (2009) archive footage
- All Eyez on Me (2017) archive footage
Television appearances
- New York Undercover (1995) as himself
- Martin (1995) as himself
- Who Shot Biggie & Tupac? (2017)
- Unsolved (2018)
Awards and nominations
Award | Year of ceremony | Nominee/work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard Music Awards | 1995 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Rap Artist of the Year | Won |
'One More Chance' | Rap Single of the Year | Won | ||
Grammy Awards | 1996 | 'Big Poppa' | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated |
1998 | 'Hypnotize' | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated | |
'Mo Money Mo Problems' (with Mase and Puff Daddy) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated | ||
Life After Death | Best Rap Album | Nominated | ||
MTV Video Music Awards | 1997 | 'Hypnotize' | Best Rap Video | Won |
1998 | 'Mo Money Mo Problems' (with Mase and Puff Daddy) | Best Rap Video | Nominated | |
Soul Train Music Awards | 1998 | Life After Death | Best R&B/Soul Album, Male | Won |
'Mo Money Mo Problems' (with Mase and Puff Daddy) | Best R&B/Soul Album | Nominated | ||
Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video | Nominated |
References
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- ^Markman, Rob (March 9, 2012). 'Notorious B.I.G. Would Have Worked With Kanye West, Lil' Kim Says'. MTV.
- ^Markman, Rob (March 15, 2012). 'Notorious B.I.G. 'Locked' Lil' Kim In A Room To Prevent Jodeci Collabo'. MTV.com.
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- ^Brown, Jake (May 24, 2004). Ready to Die: The Story of Biggie Smalls Notorious B.I.G. Colossus Books. p. 122. ISBN978-0-9749779-3-5.
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- ^ abStewart, Henry. 'Should We Name a Street After Biggie?'.
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- ^'Shooting erupts at Notorious movie'. Greensboro News & Record. January 16, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
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- ^'Sean Kingston: Big, But Not B.I.G.'Vibe. August 30, 2007. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
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- ^Wallace, Voletta, 'Christopher Wallace Jr.'. Interview Magazine. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
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- ^Reid, Shaheem (December 3, 2008). ''Notorious' Soundtrack Details Revealed: Features Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Faith Evans, Biggie's Son'. MTV News. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
Further reading
- Coker, Cheo Hodari (2004). Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN978-0-609-80835-1.
- Wallace, Voletta; McKenzie, Tremell; Evans, Faith (foreword) (2005). Biggie: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. Atria. ISBN978-0-7434-7020-9.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Notorious B.I.G.. |
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Notorious B.I.G. |
- The Notorious B.I.G. at MTV
- 'The Notorious B.I.G. collected news and commentary'. The New York Times.
- The Notorious B.I.G. on IMDb
- The Notorious B.I.G. at Find a Grave
- FBI Records: The Vault – Christopher (Biggie Smalls) Wallace at vault.fbi.gov
Life After Death | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 25, 1997 | |||
Recorded | September 1995 – January 1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 120:39 | |||
Label | ||||
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The Notorious B.I.G. chronology | ||||
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Singles from Life After Death | ||||
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Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, on Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death sixteen days earlier. It features collaborations with guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, The LOX and Puff Daddy. Life After Death exhibits The Notorious B.I.G. further delving into the mafioso rap subgenre. The album is a sequel to his first album, Ready to Die, and picks up where the last song, 'Suicidal Thoughts', ends.
The album was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for its first single 'Hypnotize', and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for its second single 'Mo Money Mo Problems' at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2003, the album was ranked at No. 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 'The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time'.[1]
- 2Feud references and subliminal disses
- 3Critical reception
- 7Personnel
- 8Charts
Background[edit]
Two and a half years before the album's release, the Notorious B.I.G. who had married Faith Evans, became East Coast's icon in the East Coast–West Coast rivalry and made guest appearances on albums by Jay-Z and Luther Campbell amongst others. The album was supposed to be released on Halloween in 1996, but was pushed back to 1997. Two weeks before its release, on March 9, the Notorious B.I.G. was shot four times in a drive-by shooting and was later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Feud references and subliminal disses[edit]
Conflict with other rappers is a major theme throughout the album. Numerous songs contain references to B.I.G.'s rivals, some subtle and some obvious.
'Kick in the Door'[edit]
The track 'Kick in the Door' is directed at Nas, Jeru the Damaja, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and even the track's producer DJ Premier. The subtle messages have been speculated on by listeners and confirmed by artists on several occasions, including XXL magazine's April 2003 edition, 'The Making of: Life After Death'.
In 'The Making of: Life After Death', Nashiem Myrick reveals that the second verse has lines directed at Jeru the Damaja and DJ Premier:[2] 'Nas said that record was for him, but when Big said, 'Son, I'm surprised you run with them/I think they got cum in them, 'cause they nothin' but dicks,' he was talking about Jeru the Damaja to Premo 'cause Jeru was going at Big and Puff and all them [with the Premier-produced 'One Day' in Jeru's album Wrath of the Math].'
The line 'Fuck that, why try, throw bleach in your eye' is a reference to Raekwon's jab on the track 'Ice Water' from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.. where Raekwon raps.
That's life, to top it all off, beef with White
pullin bleach out tryin to throw it in my eyesight
The lines on the final verse are directed at Nas as a reference to Nas challenging The Notorious B.I.G. for the title of 'King of New York'[3] in the song 'The Message' from the album It Was Written in which Nas raps:
Yo let me let y'all niggaz know one thing
There's one life, one love, so there can only be one King
Biggie struck back with the lines:
Ain't no other kings in this rap thing
They siblings, nothing but my chil'ren
One shot, they disappearin'
It's ill when MC's used to be on cruddy shit
Took home Ready to Die, listened, studied shit
Now they on some money shit, successful out the blue
In 'The Making of: Life After Death' article Lil' Cease explains, 'Big talked about Nas a little bit in that shit. It was the King of New York part, the last verse: 'This goes out for those that chose to use disrespectful views on the King of NY.' That's when Nas had that freestyle out, where he was like, 'I'll take the crown off the so-called King and lock it down.' That's when Big had the cover of The Source, and it said, 'The King of New York.'[2]
'Long Kiss Goodnight'[edit]
It was speculated by many listeners that the song 'Long Kiss Goodnight' contains cryptic insults towards 2Pac and Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, although at the time it was never confirmed due to the sensitive nature of both rappers' recent deaths.
However, Lil' Cease, Biggie's cousin and a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A. claimed the following in XXL magazine's April 2003 issue about 'Long Kiss Goodnight': 'That was about 'Pac. He had some shit at the beginning of that though, nobody heard it, on the reel. We had to change it. It was a little too much. I can't remember what Big said about him, but it was terrible. It couldn't make it. He didn't want to do it. He had some fire. But he didn't want to make it too much. He just wanted to address it and to let nigga know, 'I know what's going on, and I could get wreck if I want to.' Like, 'If I really wanted to get on ya niggas, I could.'
Sean Combs, however, denies these claims stating, 'Naw, it was just some emcee lyrics. I know people wanna have their imagination, but it was just lyrics. You're hearing it from the horse's mouth. I would tell the truth.'[2]
In the first verse, the lyric 'Laugh Now, Cry Later' is allegedly a reference to two tattoos on 2Pac's back.[4]A line in the first verse is supposedly aimed at Shakur:
When my men bust you just move with such stamina
Slugs missed ya, I Ain't Mad at Cha (We Ain't Mad at Cha)
The last two verses in particular seem to be directed towards Tupac:
I'm flaming gats, aimin' at these fuckin' maniacs
Put my name in raps, what part the game is that?
Like they hustle backwards
I smoke Backwoods and Dutchies, ya can't touch me
Try to rush me, slugs go touchy-touchy
You're bleeding lovely with your spirit above me or beneath me
Your whole life you live sneaky
Now you rest eternally, sleepy, you burn when you creep me
Rest where the worms and the weak be
Slugs hit your chest, tap your spine, flat line
Heard through the grapevine, you got fucked fo' times
Damn that three to nine, fucked you up for real though
Slugs still slow, as for remorse, we feel no
The lines seem to be making reference to Tupac frequently mentioning Biggie by name in his raps, and allegations spread by Wendy Williams that he had been raped during his prison term at Rikers Island.[4]Although some fans have interpreted these lines as references to Shakur's murder, XXL Magazine wrote that the song was most likely recorded before 2Pac's death.[5]
Other references[edit]
In 'Going Back to Cali' the second verse opens up with Biggie's thoughts on the inter-coastal war and his relationship with the West Coast:
If I got to choose a coast I got to choose the East
I live out there, so don't go there
But that don't mean a nigga can't rest in the West
See some nice breasts in the West
Smoke some nice sess in the West, y'all niggas is a mess
Thinkin' I'm gon' stop, givin' L.A. props
All I got is beef with those that violate me
I shall annihilate thee
Case closed
In the song 'Notorious Thugs', B.I.G. clearly refers to longtime nemesis 2Pac in the line 'so called beef with you-know-who', calling the feud between him and Shakur 'bullshit', while Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (who featured 2Pac on one of their songs the same year) throw jabs at Three 6 Mafia, Twista, Crucial Conflict and Do or Die.
The tracks 'What's Beef' and 'My Downfall', both of which deal with the subject of feuding, as well as 'Last Day' and 'You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)' are also said to contain apparent jabs aimed at his rivals (including Shakur), even though Biggie stated in a Spin magazine interview that the song 'You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)' was not directed at Shakur, who at the time had recently been shot.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | A[8] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+[9] |
The Guardian | [10] |
Los Angeles Times | [11] |
NME | 8/10[12] |
Pitchfork | 9.5/10[13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
USA Today | [16] |
Life After Death received widespread critical acclaim from many critics upon release. Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the album as 'flaunting affluence with a leisurely swagger, midtempo grooves and calmly arrogant raps'.[17]Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone magazine called it a 'conscious continuation of Ready to Die', and stated 'Life After Death captures crime's undeniable glamour but doesn't stint on the fear, desperation and irretrievable loss that the streets inevitably exact'.[14] Cheo Hodari Coker from the Los Angeles Times wrote that 'Life After Death reflects both the dark and the heartfelt sides of the rapper's Gemini personality. It's not only a complex testament to who he was in his private life, but also a demonstration of his amazing rhyming ability. In key moments, B.I.G. does a marvelous job of surfing between accessible music fare tailored for the radio, and more challenging material that will be savored by hard-core rap fans who have long admired B.I.G.'s microphone skills. Rarely has a rapper attempted to please so many different audiences and done it so brilliantly'.[11] In a five-mic review for The Source, Michael A. Gonzales felt that it would 'undoubtedly become a classic to any true hip-hop fan'.[18] Although David Browne of Entertainment Weekly was unfavorable of the album's long length, and some of its violent and materialistic content, he commended Notorious B.I.G.'s 'bicoastal respect' by working with other hip-hop styles and artists from other regions of the United States.[9]
Retrospect[edit]
Since its release, Life After Death has received retrospective acclaim from critics. Rob Sheffield, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), called it 'a filler-free two-disc rush of musical bravado' and commented that the Notorious B.I.G.'s voice and lyrics were 'deeper' than before.[15]AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier wrote, 'It may have taken the Notorious B.I.G. a few years to follow up his milestone debut, Ready to Die, with another album, but when he did return with Life After Death, he did so in a huge way. The ambitious album, intended as somewhat of a sequel to Ready to Die, picked up where its predecessor left off.'[7] Birchmeier further said, 'Over the course of only two albums, he achieved every success imaginable, perhaps none greater than this unabashedly over-reaching success.'[7] Evan McGarvey of Stylus magazine wrote in his review, 'Life After Death is a grand exercise in personal mythology, narrative sweep, and truly diverse, universal pop excellence. As a double album it is the very definition of cinematic; it essentially perfected the concept and standard in hip-hop .. Sequenced as an unpacking of sorts, the album's progression from song to song is an essay itself.'[19] In 2013, VIBE named Life After Death the greatest Hip-Hop/R&B album since 1993.[20]
Accolades[edit]
- The information regarding accolades is adapted from Acclaimed Music[21] except for lists that are sourced otherwise.
- (*) signifies unordered lists
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
About.com | United States | 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums[22] | 2008 | 40 |
About.com | United States | Best Rap Albums of 1997[23] | 2008 | 1 |
Addicted to Noise | United States | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 7 |
Blender | United States | The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time | 2002 | 25 |
Ego Trip | United States | Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98 | 1999 | 1 |
The Face | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 20 |
Fnac | France | The 1000 Best Albums of All Time | 2008 | 858 |
Hip Hop Connection | United Kingdom | The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005 | 2005 | 14 |
Tom Moon | United States | 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die | 2008 | * |
The New Nation | United Kingdom | Top 100 Albums by Black Artists | 2005 | 60 |
OOR Moordlijst | Netherlands | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 87 |
Pure Pop | Mexico | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 18 |
Q | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year | 1997 | * |
Rolling Stone | United States | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 2003 | 483 |
Rolling Stone | United States | 100 Best Albums of the Nineties[24] | 2011 | 66 |
Rolling Stone | United States | The Essential Recordings of the 90s | 1999 | * |
The Source | United States | The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time[25] | 2005 | 8 |
The Source | United States | The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time[26] | 2005 | 60 |
Spex | Germany | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 19 |
Spin | United States | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 7 |
(various writers) | United States | 50 Years of Great Recordings | 2005 | * |
Vibe | United States | 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement | 2004 | * |
Vibe | United States | 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007) | 2007 | * |
Village Voice | United States | Albums of the Year | 1997 | 12 |
Commercial performance[edit]
Life After Death was released to a significant amount of critical praise and commercial success. The album sold 690,000 copies in its first week.[27] In 2000, the album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[28] denoting shipment of 5 million copies (the threshold for double albums) and it has been credited as one of the best-selling rap albums of all time. It also made the largest jump to number one on the Billboard 200 chart in history, jumping from number 176 to number one in one week. Also, it spent four weeks at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and topped the Billboard Year-End chart as a Billboard 200 for 1997.[29]
Legacy and influence[edit]
Although released in the wake of B.I.G.'s fatal shooting, Life After Death signaled a stylistic change in gangsta rap as it crossed over to the commercial mainstream. After the release of Life After Death, Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records continued to bring pop and gangsta rap closer together: the references to violence and drug dealing remained, as did the entire 'gangsta' rhetoric, but the overall production style changed from the previously darker sound to a cleaner, sample-heavy, more upbeat sound that was directly fashioned for the mainstream pop charts, as seen in the single 'Mo Money Mo Problems'. The Notorious B.I.G. is often credited with initiating this transition, as he was among the first mainstream rappers to produce albums with a calculated attempt to include both gritty and realistic gangsta narratives as well as more radio-friendly productions. The majority of the album was produced by Steven 'Stevie J' Jordan, Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie, Carlos 'July Six' Broady, Ron Lawrence, and Nashiem Myrick. However, other notable hip-hop producers such as Easy Mo Bee, Havoc from Mobb Deep, DJ Premier and RZA from Wu-Tang Clan contributed beats to the album as well.
Various artists were specifically influenced by songs on Life After Death. Evidence's 'Down in New York City' is essentially 'Going Back to Cali' from the perspective of a West Coast hip hop artist. Jay-Z borrows four bars from 'The World Is Filled..' in his song 'I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)', as well as the chorus from his song 'Squeeze 1st' from 'Hypnotize', a line in 'The Ruler's Back' from 'Kick in the Door' and 'You're Nobody ('Til Somebody Kills You)' on 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)'. Ice Cube borrows the chorus from 'Kick in the Door' for his song 'Child Support'. As with B.I.G.'s 'I Love The Dough' Monica's 2010 song 'Everything to Me' samples 'I Love You More' by René & Angela. The official remix includes a verse from B.I.G. that originally appeared on 'I Love The Dough'. SWV sampled 'Ten Crack Commandments' on the opening track 'Someone' featuring B.I.G.'s former protege and friend Combs. The French rapper Rohff named his album 'La Vie Avant La Mort' (Life Before Death) (2001) as a tribute to B.I.G, Joey Badass interpolated the lines 'Kick in the Door' on 'Super Predator' from All-Amerikkkan Badass (2017). The album has sold 350,000 copies.[citation needed]
Track listing[edit]
Credits adapted from Life After Death liner notes.[30]
Disc one | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
1. | 'Life After Death Intro' |
| 1:39 | |
2. | 'Somebody's Gotta Die' |
| 4:26 | |
3. | 'Hypnotize' |
| 3:50 | |
4. | 'Kick in the Door' |
| DJ Premier | 4:47 |
5. | 'Fuck You Tonight' (featuring R. Kelly) |
| 5:45 | |
6. | 'Last Day' (featuring The Lox) |
| 4:19 | |
7. | 'I Love the Dough' (featuring Jay-Z and Angela Winbush) |
| Easy Mo Bee | 5:11 |
8. | 'What's Beef?' |
| 5:15 | |
9. | 'B.I.G. Interlude' |
| 0:48 | |
10. | 'Mo Money Mo Problems' (featuring Mase and Puff Daddy) |
| 4:17 | |
11. | 'Niggas Bleed' |
| 4:51 | |
12. | 'I Got a Story to Tell' |
| 4:42 | |
13. | 'Interview/Biggie Speaks (Hidden Track)' | 11:28 | ||
Total length: | 61:18 |
Disc one notes
- ^[a] – co-producer
- 'Life After Death (Intro)' contains sample of 'Suicidal Thoughts' by The Notorious B.I.G., and 'This Masquerade' by George Benson.
- 'Somebody's Gotta Die' contains a sample of 'In the Rain' by The Dramatics.
- 'Hypnotize' contains a sample of 'Rise' by Herb Alpert, and an interpolation of 'La Di Da Di' by Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh.
- 'Kick in the Door' contains a sample of 'I Put A Spell On You' by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 'Unbelievable' by Notorious B.I.G., 'Get Money' by Junior M.A.F.I.A., 'Wash Yo' Ass' by Martin Lawrence, and 'Robby, The Cook, And 60 Gallons Of Booze' by Louis & Bebe Barron.
- 'I Love the Dough' contains a sample and interpolation of 'I Love You More' by René & Angela, and 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?' by Rod Stewart.
- 'What's Beef?' contains a sample of 'I'm Glad You're Mine' by Al Green and 'Close To You' by Richard Evans.
- 'B.I.G. Interlude' contains a sample of 'P.S.K. What Does It Mean?' by Schooly D.
- 'Mo Money Mo Problems' contains a sample of 'I'm Coming Out' by Diana Ross.
- 'Niggas Bleed' contains a sample of 'Hey Who Really Cares' by The Whispers.
- 'I Got a Story to Tell' contains a sample of 'I'm Glad You're Mine' by Al Green.
Disc two Cara share printer di windows10.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 'Notorious Thugs' (featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) |
| 6:07 | |
2. | 'Miss U' (featuring 112) |
| Kay-Gee | 4:58 |
3. | 'Another' (featuring Lil' Kim) |
| 4:15 | |
4. | 'Going Back to Cali' | Easy Mo Bee | 5:07 | |
5. | 'Ten Crack Commandments' |
| DJ Premier | 3:24 |
6. | 'Playa Hater' |
| 3:57 | |
7. | 'Nasty Boy' |
| 5:34 | |
8. | 'Sky's the Limit' (featuring 112) |
| Clark Kent | 5:29 |
9. | 'The World Is Filled..' (featuring Too Short, Puff Daddy and Carl Thomas) |
| 4:54 | |
10. | 'My Downfall' (featuring DMC) |
| 5:26 | |
11. | 'Long Kiss Goodnight' | RZA | 5:18 | |
12. | 'You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)' |
| 4:52 | |
Total length: | 59:21 |
Disc two notes
- 'Notorious Thugs' contains a sample of 'More Than Love' by Ohio Players.
- 'Miss U' contains an interpolation of 'Missing You' by Diana Ross.
- 'Another' contains a sample and interpolation of 'Another Man' by Barbara Mason.
- 'Going Back to Cali' contains a sample of 'More Bounce To The Ounce' by Zapp.
- 'Ten Crack Commandments' contains a sample of 'Valantra' by Les McCann, and 'Shut 'Em Down' by Public Enemy.
- 'Playa Hater' contains a sample and interpolation of 'Hey! Love' by The Delfonics.
- 'Nasty Boy' contains a sample of 'Cavern' by Liquid Liquid.
- 'Sky's the Limit' contains a sample of 'My Flame' by Bobby Caldwell.
- 'The World Is Filled..' contains a sample of 'Space Talk' by Asha Puthli, and 'The What' by Notorious B.I.G.
- 'My Downfall' contains a sample of 'For The Good Times' by Al Green and 'You're All I Need to Get By' by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell.
- 'Long Kiss Goodnight' contains a sample of 'The Letter' by Al Green.
Clean edition | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | 'Hypnotize' | 3:57 |
2. | 'Notorious Thugs' | 6:14 |
3. | 'I Love the Dough' (featuring Jay-Z and Angela Winbush) | 5:40 |
4. | 'B.I.G. Interlude' | 0:48 |
5. | 'Miss U' | 4:05 |
6. | 'Mo Money Mo Problems' (featuring Puff Daddy & Ma$e) | 4:17 |
7. | 'Playa Hater' | 3:59 |
8. | 'Another' (featuring Lil' Kim) | 4:22 |
9. | 'Ten Commandments' | 3:24 |
10. | 'Nasty Boy' | 3:51 |
11. | 'Sky's the Limit' (featuring 112) | 4:37 |
12. | 'Going Back to Cali' | 3:55 |
13. | 'You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)' | 4:52 |
14. | 'Lovin' You Tonight' (featuring R. Kelly) | 5:42 |
Total length: | 59:42 |
Personnel[edit]
Performers[edit]
Biggie Smalls Total
- Notorious B.I.G. – writer, rap performer, additional production
- Sean 'Puffy' Combs – featured rap performer
- Lil' Kim – featured rap performer
- Jay-Z – featured rap performer
- Too Short – featured rap performer
- Mase – featured rap performer
- Bizzy Bone – featured rap performer
- Krayzie Bone – featured rap performer
- Layzie Bone – featured rap performer
- Jadakiss – featured rap performer
- Styles P – featured rap performer
- Sheek Louch – featured rap performer
- 112 – featured vocals
- R. Kelly – featured vocals
- DMC – featured vocals
- Angela Winbush – featured vocals
- Kelly Price – vocals
- Pamela Long – additional vocals
- Carl Thomas – additional vocals
- Faith Evans – background vocals
- Karen Anderson – background vocals
- Keanna Henson – background vocals
- Deborah Neeley Rolle – background vocals
- Ron Grant – background vocals
- Michael Ciro – guitar
- Butch Ingram – writer/publisher
Production[edit]
- Sean 'Puffy' Combs – producer, mixing
- Carlos '6 July' Broady – producer, hammond organ
- Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie – producer
- Stevie J – producer
- Nashiem Myrick – producer
- Ron Lawrence – producer
- Easy Mo Bee – producer
- DJ Premier – producer
- Clark Kent – producer
- RZA – producer
- Havoc – producer
- Buckwild – producer
- Kay Gee – editor, producer
- Chucky Thompson – producer
- DJ Enuff – producer
- Daron Jones – producer
- Paragon – producer
- Jiv Pos – producer
- Mike Pitts – assistant producer, editor
- Michael Patterson – engineer, mixing
- Charles 'Prince Charles' Alexander – engineer, mixing
- Lane Craven – engineer, mixing
- Manny Marroquin – engineer
- Camilo Argumedes – engineer
- Stephen Dent – engineer
- Ben Garrison – engineer
- Rasheed Goodlowe – engineer
- Steve Jones – engineer
- Rich July – engineer
- John Meredith – engineer
- Lynn Montrose – engineer
- Axel Niehaus – engineer
- Diana Pedraza – engineer
- Doug Wilson – engineer
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Paul Logus – mixing
- Eddie Sancho – mixing
- Richard Travali – mixing
- Herb Powers – mastering
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Decade-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[42] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[44] | 11× Platinum | 11,000,000^ |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^rs
- ^ abc'The Making of Life After Death: Many Men'. Xxlmag.Com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^'KING Legacy: Nasir Jones, Part Two'. KING-mag.com. May 1, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ ab'The Notorious B.I.G. – Long Kiss Goodnight Lyrics'. Rap Genius. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^'8 Subliminal Diss Records That No One Claims'. Xxlmag.Com. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^SPIN. Books.google.com. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ abcBirchmeier, Jason. 'Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.'AllMusic. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^Christgau, Robert (2000). 'Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death'. Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN0-312-24560-2. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^ abBrowne, David (April 11, 1997). 'Life After Death'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^Glaister, Dan (March 28, 1997). 'The Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death (Bad Boy)'. The Guardian.
- ^ abCoker, Cheo Hodari (March 26, 1997). 'A memorable 'life' on its own merits'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^Fadele, Dele (April 12, 1997). 'The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^Ex, Kris (March 9, 2017). 'The Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death'. Pitchfork. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- ^ abDeCurtis, Anthony (May 1, 1997). 'Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death'. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^ abSheffield, Rob (2004). 'The Notorious B.I.G.'. In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 592. ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
- ^Jones, Steve (March 26, 1997). ''Life After Death' is a B.I.G. classic'. USA Today. p. 01.D. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^Pareles, Jon (March 30, 1997). 'Swaggering in Death's Face Till the End'. The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^Gonzales, Michael A. (May 1997). 'Notorious B.I.G., Life After Death .. Till Death Do Us Part (Bad Boy/Arista)'. The Source (92): 79. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^McGarvey, Evan (September 11, 2007). 'Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death – The Diamond'. Stylus. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
- ^The Greatest 50 Albums Since '93
- ^'Life After Death'. Acclaimed Music. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^'The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all Time'. Rap.about.com. January 6, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^Adaso, Henry. Best Rap Albums of 1997. about.com. Retrieved September 4, 2012-09-04.
- ^100 Best Albums of the Nineties. Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^'The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles'. Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^'TOP 100'. Trevornelson.Com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^'Check Out How Biggie's 'Life After Death' Was Made'. XXL. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- ^'RIAA – Gold & Platinum Database'. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- ^'Information Not Found'. Billboard.com. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death: 1st Press. CD
- ^'Australiancharts.com – The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'Ultratop.be – The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^The Notorious B.I.G. – Chart history | Billboard
- ^'Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline' (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'Dutchcharts.nl – The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death' (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'Charts.org.nz – The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'Swedishcharts.com – The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'Notorious B.I.G. | Artist | Official Charts'. UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Billboard 200)'. Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^'The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)'. Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^'Canadian album certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. Music Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^'British album certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 4, 2013.Select albums in the Format field.Select Platinum in the Certification field.Type Life After Death in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
- ^'American album certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
External links[edit]
- Life After Death at Discogs
- The Making of Life After Death at XXL
- Playing God: Life After Death at Stylus