Listen To An Unreleased Version Of The Notorious B.I.G. - "Me & My Bitch"

Today, May 21st of the year 2015, barring a tragic, much-too-soon demise, Biggie Smalls AKA Christopher Wallace AKA THE Notorious B.I.G would have turned 43-years-young. And whether you were alive and feeling the vibe of the Golden Era's dusty soul stuff, or were just a tike, removed from the the proliferative period of hip-hop's canon, you felt Biggie. You felt the weight of his burly bombing. You felt the impact of a talent unseen and a narrative rarely heard. You felt the power of the rugged & raw well before his body was carried through his Bed-Stuy block like some damn hip-hop head of state. You knew a king had fallen.

But since today is his birthday and not his death anniversary, let's not commiserate on the passing of a legend. Let's remember Mr. Wallace as the gamechanger he was. And so on that note (thanks to the good folks at RANDOMRAPRADIO) we're happy to bring y'all a taste of what could have been. A jazzy unreleased take of Biggie's crude but earnest Ready To Die ballad "Me & My Bitch," with the wordplay intact, but fit to a breezy octave guitar loop and big, knocking drums permeating the cut. According to egotrip, the track arrived at Preemo's radio show on NY's 107.5 WBLS in 1994 for him to spin during his late-night set. And it's a gotdamn treat, y'all. So sit back, twirl the buddha and rock with this airy, unreleased bit of audiotape that's sure to give you the full spectrum of feels. Happy birthday, Biggie Smalls. Still the Illest.