Biggie Smalls is the illest...possibly ever, definitely Brooklyn's finest. Sorry, Jay but rap immortality is spelled Notorious B.I.G. followed by G-I-E. Biggie. Get it? On the 17th anniversary of his untimely passing DJ Premier--one of Big Christopher Wallace's most powerful collaborators and a contender for illest-who-ever-did-it status within his own, ahem, arena of tuff beats--pays tribute to a fallen BK soldier with a new track called "March 9th" the infamous date on 1997 when we lost Biggie forever. The original beat features Stage Soul Music on vocals, weaving layered reference to Biggie lyrics and song titles into a heartfelt tribute which nicely sums up the sentiment felt across Brooklyn, if not the whole MC world: Fulton & St. James ain't been the same / cause things done changed...since J-U-I-C-Y was Mr. Wallace Ready To Die / It's unbelievable they don't know who shot you.... Listen below, shoo away the ravens, light a dutch and pour out some champagne for the late, great. Or if you are more the lambsbread type, get yourself a musical education on Biggie's Jamaican roots here.
And while you're up, reminisce over this sublimely smooth remix of Biggie's 112 collaboration "Sky's The Limit," also released to day in B.I.G.'s honor by producer 10th Month. See you up top, chumps.
