West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Twentytwofifty on July 21, 2005, 06:47:21 PM
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The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die (1994)
(http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc300/c376/c37668p4306.jpg) (http://s51.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=30211SAKHK4V211SN1F3JMD3K6)
It might be redundant to even review the music on the record, as in today's hip-hop world it is an unscrutinized given to consider almost every track that Biggie ever touched great. But it is important for us to examine what makes Ready To Die a brilliant record so that we can apply these lessons to other music, rather than blindly worshipping Biggie without learning anything from his work. Sometimes newcomers to rap often question the validity of Christopher Wallace's huge following, pointing out that his lyrics weren't that "tight," and that other MCs have more complex rhymes. But rap is not about how many syllables one can cram into a line or how many clever punchlines one can come up with. It is about effectively communicating meaningful ideas, and Biggie just didn't need to use devices such as the punchline or the multi-syllable line in order to do that. His personality and his incredible choice of words were all he needed to move people. It didn't hurt that he had a rich, booming voice and a precise, straightforward flow either. His raps are easy to understand, but his skills are hardly lacking he has a loose, easy flow and a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession. He's blessed with a flair for the dramatic, and slips in and out of different contradictory characters with ease. Yet, no matter how much he heightens things for effect, it's always easy to see elements of Biggie in his narrators and of his own experience in the details; everything is firmly rooted in reality, but plays like scenes from a movie.
The first two songs on the album, "Things Done Changed" and "Gimme The Loot," very clearly display the "good" and "evil" sides of Biggie, and the music is so powerful that that the listener actually revels in both. "Things Done Changed" features understated but banging production, over which Biggie takes a step back from the crime that he himself is involved in in order to reflect on the streets. No sociologist could ever express the hopelessness of slum living the way Big did: "Because the streets is a short stop / Either you're slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot." The very next track, "Gimme The Loot," is an undeniably fun, but nihilistic, celebration of the violent lifestyle that Biggie laments, to a degree, on "Things Done Changed." Easy Mo Bee's production is appropriately psycho, and Biggie uses the opportunity to rhyme with two different voices, as two characters talking about heists.
Clearly, this is a remarkably raw album we're talking about. As much as rappers today try and bite Biggie, they just can't come close to affecting fans the way Biggie did.Very few artists have the guts to pour out every little thing in their hearts and minds the way that Biggie did throughout Ready To Die. He gets as deep as humanly possible on the tragic "Me And My Bitch," where the misogyny and cruelty that are the bad sides of Big's street culture can't overpower his loving nature. And he gets just as deep on the single, "Juicy," which is easily one of the most inspirational songs in the history of hip-hop music. Whatever the message of the song is, the honesty that Biggie can't help but exude is always what makes it work. The remarkable songs though are the ones that aren't remembered for being top ten hits on a multi-platinum album, but the jeep bangers like DJ Premier's "Unbelievable" (http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3K9UJR5H7VBTF1BDKBWNI7Z7GH) which made B.I.G. as big a hero to underground rap heads as he was to pop music:
Bandaging MC's, oxygen they can't breathe
Mad tricks up the sleeve, wear boxers so my dick can breathe
Breeze through in the Q-45 by my side, lyrical high
And those that rushes my cluthes get put on crutches
Get smoked like dutches from the master
Hate to blast ya, but I have ta, you see I smoke a lot
Your life is played out like Kwame, and them fuckin polka dots
Who rock the spot? Biggie!
You know how the weed go, unbelievable
With only one unfortunate interlude which can be easily dismissed and fifteen powerful rap songs sandwiched together from the "Intro" right up to the powerful and eerie Lord Finesse produced "Suicidal Thoughts" at the end, this is an album which encapsulates the best of New York's hardcore hip-hop in one definining moment which also encapsulated the best of what Biggie had to offer the world. Biggie was the quintessential master of wordplay who could either scare you like Edgar Allan Poe or charm you like Cyrano de Begerac. Ofcourse most people wouldn't be impressed if you just read them the words of the Notorious B.I.G. out loud, with no beat, one after another - it's the deep timbre of Biggie's booming voice along with the impeccable timing of his authoritative delivery along with some of the best rap music beats of the 90's that all come together to make this one for the ages.
50. Dr. Dre 2001 (1999) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=73625.0)
49. Outkast Southernplayalisticaddicmuzik (1994) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=73777.0)
48. Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74040.0)
47. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74218.0)
46. Redman Whut? Thee Album (1992) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74531.0)
45. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=74834.0)
44. Fugees The Score (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75061.0)
43. The D.O.C. No One Can Do It Better (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75381.0)
42. Common Sense - Resurrection (1994) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75589.0)
41. Makaveli - The Don Kiluminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=75939.0)
40. Public Enemy Fear Of A Black Planet (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=76104.0)
39. Ice Cube Death Certificate (1992) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=76728.0)
38. Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords (1995) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=77194.0)
37. N.W.A Efil4zaggin (1991) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=77354.0)
36. Main Source Breaking Atoms (1991) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=77548.0)
35. Geto Boys Grip It! On That Other Level (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=78193.0)
34. Brand Nubian One For All (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=78454.0)
33. Scarface The Diary (1994) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=78896.0)
32. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo Road To The Riches (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=78973.0)
31. Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill (1986) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=78994.0)
30. Ultramagnetic MC's Critical Beatdown (1988) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=79307.0)
29. LL Cool J Radio (1985) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=79487.0)
28. 2Pac All Eyez On Me (1996) (http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre700/e771/e771847607k.jpg)
27. Mobb Deep The Infamous
(1995) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=80115.0)
26. Eric B. & Rakim Follow The Leader (1988) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=80302.0)
25. Big Daddy Kane Its A Big Daddy (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=80735.0)
24. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=80831.0)
23. Black Moon Enta Da Stage (1993) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=80894.0)
22. Outkast Aquemini (1998) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=81163.0)
21. A Tribe Called Quest Peoples Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=81368.0)
20. Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. (1984) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=81525.0)
19. Boogie Down Productions By All Means Necessary (1988) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=81656.0)
18. Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
(1995) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=81932.0)
17. De La Soul 3 Feet High And Rising (1989) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=82271.0)
16. Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle (1993) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=82438.0)
15. Ice Cube AmeriKKKas Most Wanted (1990) (http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=82573.0)
14. The Notorious B.I.G. Ready To Die (1994)
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thats a good spot for this album.
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I love this album. I'm curious to see if "Life After Death" will make it on the list.
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Not a chance^^
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Not a chance^^
at least i hope not
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this is my favorite cd
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thats a good spot for this album.
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should be higher
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thinking about it what is so influencial about this album
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^^^^ It only brought eastcoast rap back in the picture. ;D
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thats a good spot for this album.
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^^^^ It only brought eastcoast rap back in the picture. ;D
lol yeah i was just about to point this out.
Also, aside from that huge feat, this is one of the most personal albums ive heard from a rapper.
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Ranked way too high IMO, but then again im not too big on Biggie's music (no pun intended).
Its a classic but there are alot of albums that are better as I see it. I would have Cuban Linx, Doggystyle, both the Pac albums on the list, Aquemini, Death Certificate, Amerikkkaz Most Wanted, among others higher. This one would be somewhere in my top 25 perhaps, but definatly not top 15.
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^^^^ It only brought eastcoast rap back in the picture. ;D
Actually, id give that credit to 36 Chambers and Illmatic before I would this album. No doubt this album had a role in doing so, but I think the first two albums set the standard, especially Illmatic.
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This should be higher only eastcoast albums thats better is illmatic.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx >> this album
another east coast album I like better than this, but didnt make the list:
Wu Tang Forever. To be honest, I prefer this album over 36 Chambers and is my second fav Wu album after Cuban Linx. It didnt have the impact of either of those albums, but lyrically and musically, it was light years ahead of them. Also, the second best double cd ever, behind only All Eyez On Me.
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i love this album, knuckles, in your opinion, why do u place this above doggystyle?
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too high on the list..
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nice spot, a bit high maybe, but nothing to bitch about
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I think 14th is the good spot for this album on your list. Can't wait for the top 10
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Good spot for the album 8)..love this album
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One of my favorites, in my top 10.
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Let's point this out: I love this album. Yet I think it's a bit overrated here. It really is a great album and it perfectly showcases Biggie's talents. Just... This shouldn't be above 3 Feet, AmeriKKKa's, Doggystyle, Cuban Linx or actually most of the albums that got listed above this album. It's a great record and I love listening to it, but well... This is just too much for Ready To Die. The influence? Damn, half the rap game is influenced by Biggie, and remember his legacy is still way up there, even though he only got to drop one album while he was alive. All thanks to this album. Actually, maybe #14 is the perfect spot for this album!
Bringing the east coast back on the map? Hold on a sec, u forgot the east got Wu-Tang, Nas, Onyx, ATCQ and Redman. I'd give them more credit for bringing back the east than Biggie did with Ready To Die. I don't even think the east really was forgotten in the first place.
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In 1994 I was only eight years old. So there was no way I could comprehend what was happenning in the hip hop scene back then, but from what I read wutang were still considered underground in 94. Alot of people still diidn't know who they were yet and they were still growing. On vh1 I remember hearing that when illmatic was dropped it didin't even go gold. So the album was pretty much local in terms of being known in new york only. When Ready to die came out biggie's singles were controlling the charts and it marked the first time an eastcoast rap album was generating alot buzz nationally when chronic, doggystyle, and deathrow were pretty much ruling. I don't know about ATCQ or Redman, but I don't thinking they were competing against chronic, doggystyle, or deathrow at the time. Also I didn't say eastcoast rap was dead in the early to the beginning of the mid nineties. I said they were brought back in the picture. Before Ready to die dropped I thought it was well known that eastcoast rap REALLY wasn't competing against the west. Once again I do not mean this in terms of making music, but sales wise, singles, charts, and the albums that were getting alot of spins(especially after chronic and doggystyle dropped).
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I think Mobb Deep was doing stuff for the East & The Infumous Influeced this album & Puffy said that Amerikkkas Most Wanted,Chronic,Efil4zaggin were the Blueprints to this album cuz they had never herd a album like that from a East Coast point of view
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In 1994 I was only eight years old. So there was no way I could comprehend what was happenning in the hip hop scene back then, but from what I read wutang were still considered underground in 94. Alot of people still diidn't know who they were yet and they were still growing. On vh1 I remember hearing that when illmatic was dropped it didin't even go gold. So the album was pretty much local in terms of being known in new york only. When Ready to die came out biggie's singles were controlling the charts and it marked the first time an eastcoast rap album was generating alot buzz nationally when chronic, doggystyle, and deathrow were pretty much ruling. I don't know about ATCQ or Redman, but I don't thinking they were competing against chronic, doggystyle, or deathrow at the time. Also I didn't say eastcoast rap was dead in the early to the beginning of the mid nineties. I said they were brought back in the picture. Before Ready to die dropped I thought it was well known that eastcoast rap REALLY wasn't competing against the west. Once again I do not mean this in terms of making music, but sales wise, singles, charts, and the albums that were getting alot of spins(especially after chronic and doggystyle dropped).
Biggie was selling more than Wu and Nas, but he didnt get nearly the same critical acclaim they did. In 94', I was 16, and though I wasnt nearly into hip hop as I am now, Illmatic was being labeled as an instant classic. Ready to Die definatly was getting love but it wasnt considered to be on that next level shit like Nas's debut was. Pretty much the same thing with 36 Chambers: didnt sell nearly as much as RTD but was more critically acclaimed upon its release among hip hop heads.
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fuck all u hoes
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I......don't like it....
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i love this album, knuckles, in your opinion, why do u place this above doggystyle?
Both albums are pretty equal qualitywise I'd say, they're pretty close, I think Snoop's is a little better. I guess why this is two spots above Doggystyle is just because Doggystyle didn't do anything really new that The Chronic did and didn't have the impact that the other albums in the top twenty did. These are both classic debuts from two of the biggest artists of the 1990s but I think Biggie was more influencial than Snoop so this album holds a little more weight.
It's only two spots anyways, they could be flip-flopped and it wouldn't make a difference to me.
I think Mobb Deep was doing stuff for the East & The Infumous Influeced this album
The Infamous... came out after Ready To Die.
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yeah I realised that yesterday my bad :-[
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Bullshit! Where is Life Is Too Short by Too Short or Shorty the PIMP? No way this cd is top 15 ahead of NWA and Dre's 2001! THis list is whack! Yo!
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hahaha
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hahaha
Seriously, back in the late 80s when rap blew up, the big platinum rappers were Public Enemy, NWA, Too Short, Eazy-E, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. Life is Too Short is a classic (double platinum) and more deserving that acts like Big Daddy Kane,EPMD, Red Man, Main Source. I'm shocked your east coast luvin self doesn't have Special Ed listed! No way Tupac All Eyez On Me or Doggystyle is not in the top 10 rap albums of all time. I think you put this list out here for Shock Value!
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too high on the list..
yeah, 7 day theory is a better album than this
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too high on the list..
yeah, 7 day theory is a better album than this
yeah but this is more Influencial thats why 2001 was so high on the list
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lol at the idea of putting 2001 above this
and 7 Day Theory is impact- and significance-wise nowhere near this one, and i do agree it΄s the better album
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Why does everyone keep on arguing about the list by simply saying "these albums were better"? What's the point in that? We all know Too $hort has no business in this list. His music might be nice to listen to every now and then, but we're talking about the greatest albums of hiphop here.
fuck all u hoes
Get a grip, motherfucker! ;D
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Calm Down Dear.