Fourteen years ago today, a young man was gunned down in his prime. The Notorious B.I.G, Biggie Smalls, or more affectionately, Big Poppa, is known as one the greatest to ever do it and I doubt there are many who'd disagree. Rising to fame in the early nineties with his seminal debut, Ready To Die on Bad Boy Records, it was plain to see that this dude was no small fry. The record spawned some of Biggie's biggest hits to date including Juicy and One More Chance and was commercially and critically acclaimed. His second studio album Life After Death was just as, if not more ground breaking and achieved the so coveted Diamond certification in 2000, putting Biggie in a small list of hip-hop acts who have managed to achieve the same (Outkast, Eminem and MC Hammer being the others).
This fearless New York native noted for his knack for intelligent and vivid storytelling paired with an abundance of effusive and complex flows, set him apart from many of his contemporaries and cements his legacy to the present day. His humorous and witty punchlines, gritty semi-biographical lyrics and musical charisma can only be described in the superlative sense - there'll only ever be one Biggie. He was a gem.
And regardless of the controversy that surrounds him (that's not what this post is about), his voice and lyrics will forever be revered. Rest in peace.
"Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart's in it
and live the phrase 'sky's the limit'"
Check some of my favourite Biggie tracks below.
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