Ready to Die

It's well known that this was the only album the artist released during his life, as he was killed just days before releasing his second effort. Unfortunately, it's not a very enjoyable rap album. While his flows are strong, and he has obvious storytelling abilities, he just stays in one mode for the bulk of the album. Even more damningly, that mode is "brag about shooting people and committing violent crimes", which does not make for an enjoyable listen. While I understand(or think I understand as much as I can, being a white teenager from suburban Florida) where it all comes from, I just don't want to hear it. That, ultimately, ruins the album for me, alongside the tedious length. It just gets boring after a while, and it wasn't great to begin with, so it gets a 2.

I like some Biggie, but not all Biggie. This album is really hit and miss for me. Not to mention that lyrically, it's not aged super well. It's pretty misogynistic and the sexualized content is pretty gross.

Plus, I really don't like skits, and I really don't like how many skits are on this album. I get that skits are done to make an album feel like an audio "movie" or act as a palette cleanser between songs. They give people a glimpse of the rapper's life and environment outside of lyrics and beats. Sort of a chance to show their personality and sense of humor.

So I can get why skits exist but I also just don't like them.

2.5 rounded down

Ok rap album. Second half is better than first. Too many skits. Beats ok a bit funky. Talented rapper, doesn’t have much to say.

Some head nodding here. Some head shaking at some of the lyrics. Poor women. They've had it so bad in hip hop. It's hard to just shake it off and carry on nodding my head.

Big Incredible Guy

One of the all time greats and gone too soon, we love you Big

As Edna Krabappel would say:
"She's faking it."

4.2.
Et af de helt store. Simpelthen bare godt.

"Used to lick the clits a lot, but licking clits had to stop cause y'all don't know how to act when the tongue go down below".

What a strange way to say you don't know how to get a woman off.

A couple bangers but were the interludes necessary

It is rap.

Natuurlijk ben ik mij bewust dat dit album op vele must-hear lijstjes staat. Maar tot nu toe had ik nooit aan die oproepen gehoor gegeven. Ik kende twee hits en dat was het. De 1001 krijgt het dan toch voor elkaar. En daar ben ik nu wel blij mee. Het album ligt heel makkelijk in het gehoor (op wat seconden na, die het gekreun op de gemiddelde rap-plaat nog eens overtoepen). Het album gaat veel verder dan de catchy pop-klanken van de mij bekende hits. Het toont een sterke en vrij brede rapper. De eventuele bruggen tussen oost en west en de trieste geschiedenis laat ik even aan het internet. Mij valt vooral de brug tussen oud en (toen) nieuw op. Het album staat met één voet in de basale, maar flowende decenniumwisseling '80's - '90's en met één voet al in de sterk geproduceerde mid-'90's. Dat klinkt alsof het nu hopeloos ouderwets is. Maar zelfs met deze handtekeningen, luistert het nu ook nog prima weg. De samenwerkingen helpen het album. En dan heb ik het niet over het, blijkbaar door Puff zelf erin geforceerde, losstaande Puff gedoe. Dat is vooral zoals de nutteloze shots van Trump in menig film. Maar bijvoorbeeld een Method Man geeft toch even een break. Nou ja, meneer pakt nogal het podium zelfs. Ik moest ook even het nummer terugluisteren hoe hij er nu inviel :D.

Eigenlijk een 5 sterrenalbum. Maar die aangehaalde paar seconden verdienen flinke minpunten.

Not bad, some choice songs...

Great rhymes and flow I guess, but the skits and the sexism soured this for me.

Not a hip-hop buff, but worth the listen. I found it pretty repetitive (especially lyrically). I guess this may have been pretty provocative, but I found it kind of boring.

This is the pinnacle of mid-90s gangster hip-hop with its thug rap, gat-toting, blunt smoking, bitch-smacking lyrical cavalcade. If you expected antthing less from Biggie Smalls, you’re dumber than a screen door on a submarine. Because the lyrics are both powerful and polarizing, there’s a lot to love and a lot to hate. His words are unapologetic and brash and the stories he weaves are told with a deft wordplay that makes him stand out in the genre. When it works, it’s legendary. When it doesn’t, it’s offensive, dated and foolish. Musically, there’s a lot of innovative sound work with sampling and the beats are tight AF. A classic even if it offends your senses.

Not for me. I tried, but it’s relentlessly passing me by.

1

The production and flow are good, but I didn't need multiple interludes of the sound of Biggie having sex. It's too long, as well.

i had fun but it’s not my favourite

Good beats, skillful rapping...

...a whole song bragging about his dick followed by a track of sex noises? Casual misogyny? Yeah, gross.