Photos (L-R) by Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archive, Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archive, Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archive. Photo illustration by Mia Coleman.
For all his legendary status, The Notorious B.I.G.only dropped one solo album while he was actually alive. It just so happens that that album is one of the five or so greatest projects in rap history.
Released 30 years ago today, Ready to Diestands as the absolute apex of hip-hop — a Scorsesian crime drama framed in merciless honesty, sly wit and titanic anthems built to reverberate through all of time itself. As refined as it is unrestrained, the 17-song album plays out like an exhibit for everything hip-hop was and could ever be — socially astute, ravenously violent, slick, sexy, inspirational, fatalistic. Hopeful. Each track is both an unsparing glimpse at Black existence and a self-contained showcase for Big's all-around craftsmanship.
Tracks like "Everyday Struggle" are lucid glimpses at ghetto desperation, while luminous, aspirational tracks like "Juicy" made underdog rap theme songs to top-40 perpetuity. "Big Poppa" is an exercise in effortless playboy slick talk and anthem-making; "Warning" is rap storytelling Exhibit A. You get the idea. It's peak street rap and holy grail commercial hip-hop. It's New York. It's live from Bedford Stuyvesant, the livest one. It's Christopher Wallace. It's Biggie. It's Ready to Die, and with each new year that passes, it continues to help cultivate new generations of creators looking to also leave their mark on the rap game. Today, we talk to some of them, as well as contemporaries who were alive to experience the brief, yet indelible reign of The Notorious B.I.G. and Ready to Die.
Thirty years after its release, Okayplayer talks to over 30 rappers and producers about why Ready to Die continues to live on.
Armani Caesar
Armani Caesar attends Big Boss Vette "Resilience" EP Release Skate Party at Golden Glide Skate Rink on July 20, 2023 in Decatur, Georgia.
Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images.
Why It's a Big Deal: Biggie’s Ready to Die album was the blueprint for a lot of rappers and paved the way for a lot of artists. It can still be played to this day and sound just as good.
Favorite Song: My favorite songs would have to be between “One More Chance,” “Big Poppa,” and “Me & My Bitch.” You can’t go wrong with either one.Armani White
Armani White performs during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 03, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
Photo by Barry Brecheisen/WireImage.
Why It's a Big Deal: Ready to Die was, for me, the first time gangsta rap got commercialized in a way that was so dope it became undeniable to the pop world. It broke through in a way that wasn’t popular at the time and knocked down the walls for artists like 50 Cent to follow. The music, storytelling, flows — all of it was infectious enough to still carry over and be a staple in my generation, where a lot of its competitors haven't done as good of a job. You can still hear the songs ring off in clubs, parties, and houses and be referenced today.
Favorite Song: On the point of the storytelling and memorable sounds I mentioned, my favorite of the project has always been “Warning.”Billy Danze (M.O.P.)
Billy Danze of M.O.P. attends 11th Annual Birthday Celebration! Slick Rick: The Ruler at Brooklyn Bowl on March 5, 2022 in New York City.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
Why It's a Big Deal: I would say the bars were crazy and the beats were fire, but for me, Ready to Die was about transition — the street hustler finds his real place in society.
Favorite Song: “10 Crack Commandments” is still one of the best concepts an artist has come up with. BIG’s slick wordplay and cadence was so dope, and God bless DJ Premier, what a beat.Dante Ross
Press photo.
Photo by Kenny Rodriguez.
Why It's a Big Deal: BIG’s debut is so important because it was so good; it really stands the test of time. The combination of radio-friendly hits and gutter street records had never been dialed in so perfectly prior. Couple this with the fact he was the greatest storyteller since Slick Rick, along with a seemingly effortless and ridiculously agile flow combined with fantastic wordplay, we had never heard an album as well-rounded as Ready to Die. It remains one of my all-time — if not my all-time — favorite hip-hop albums.
Favorite Song: Hard to pick a favorite but if I had to, “Warning,” “Things Done Changed,” “Unbelievable” and “Who Shot You" are standouts.Cash Cobain
Cash Cobain performs onstage during Ice Spice Y2K! World Tour at Terminal 5 on August 07, 2024 in New York City.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Live Nation.
Why It's a Big Deal: It’s a movie. It’s the best album. When you close your eyes you can tell he was really Ready to Die for real. Best New York rap album ever, in my opinion.
Favorite Song: “Gimme The Loot.”Pete Rock
Pete Rock performs at Herbert Von King Park on July 14, 2024 in New York City.
Photo by Marleen Moise/Getty Images.
Why It's a Big Deal: Ready to Die wasn't my favorite title but the album is important because Biggie was important. He would’ve been the leader of the new school. He is Jamaican; Jamaicans always have something to prove.
Favorite Song: “Everyday Struggle” is my favorite song off that album that Easy Mo Bee did. He has had the best chemistry with Biggie, and to me, this Biggie album is a historical learning tool that youngins can use as a blueprint.MC Eiht
MC Eiht performs during 93.5 KDAY Presents 2019 Krush Groove Concert at The Forum on April 20, 2019 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images.
Why It's a Big Deal: Biggie changed the game with his introduction to his style of street anthems from what we were used to with New York hip-hop. He brought us street tales mixed with reminding us of cuts your parents jammed to, plus the struggle, you know?
Buckwild
Havoc and Buckwild visit SiriusXM Studios on April 11, 2023 in New York City.
Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images.
Why It's a Big Deal: Biggie’s debut album took the East Coast for a ride leveling up from the West Coast. To anyone who remembers, only things that came out to have the East Coast make noise on a large scale were Wu-Tang, Tribe and Nas. We got Big‘s album platinum and then some. What he did was he took hip-hop to another stratosphere, sold 8 million records, and smashed every category — street records, radio records and female songs.
Blu & Exile
Press photo.
Credit: Bee Gutierrez
Blu: Why It's a Big Deal: I think Ready to Die is so important because it is not only the first initial offering from easily one of the best rappers to ever touch a mic, but it is one of only two albums that we got from The Notorious One while he was here with us.
Blu: Favorite Song: My favorite song off Ready to Die is "The What" featuring Method Man. The chemistry and competitive nature of the song is crazy!
Exile: Why It's a Big Deal: I think this album is important because it showed a side of New York street life as well as emotional and mental health vulnerability that was not previously heard. All of this while giving us flashy hits as well as true-to-form raw NYC hip-hop.
Meyhem Lauren
Meyhem Lauren opens for Action Bronson at l' Elysee Montmartre on July 16, 2019 in Paris, France.
Photo by David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns.
Why It's a Big Deal: Ready to Die changed the game. It was the perfect balance. Very rarely is someone able to out-rap everyone and make hits and anthems at the same time. Big raised the bar for NY and hip-hop in general.
Favorite Song: Picking a favorite song on the album is impossible. My top three are: “Everyday Struggle,” “One more Chance” and “Unbelievable.”38 Spesh
38 Spesh visits Sirius XM at SiriusXM Studios on February 06, 2024 in New York City.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.
Why It's a Big Deal: While he had a rep beforehand, the bars and storytelling on Ready to Die were proof Big was one of the best to ever do it.
Favorite Song: “Everyday Struggle.”UFO FEV
UFO Fev attends Pretty Lou's Birthday Charity Celebration Hosted By Fat Joe at Highline on April 18, 2017 in New York City.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
Why It's a Big Deal: Biggie Smalls’ Ready to Die album is important for many reasons for me, the reason being that I was still pretty young [when I first heard it]. So listening to it at 9-10 was a life experience, molding my ears as a kid. In fact, when I first heard “Gimme the Loot,” I thought it was two different people.
On public-access TV, there used to be a rap show on channel 35, and dude would start the show with a split screen, and he’d be two different characters rapping “Gimme the Loot.” That left an impression.
Favorite Song: My favorite track is easily “Juicy.” “Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis” — that was everything I needed to hear. It’s still such a great song to this day. I love struggle rap; I love when rappers are broke. Jay-Z and Big were really the only rappers that made money look cool. Everything else is a replication of those two.
Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah attends the "And Then You Pray For Me" Album Release on October 11, 2023 in New York City.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
Why It’s a Big Deal: It took hip-hop back to the East Coast after Snoop & Dre’s run. But more than that, it perfected the ’80s R&B / soul sample flipped over boom bap sound we still run with 30 years later. [It was] a blueprint to a wave that never ended.
Favorite Song: Mine is def “Unbelievable,” from the second I heard it. On the cassette B-side of “Juicy.” In my mom’s car. Before the album dropped. The way Preemo cut the hook. The way the drums knocked. The sample chop. Big’s flow and lyrics on it were perfect. And to this day, the sound just represents how Brooklyn feels to me.FLEE LORD
Press photo.
Photo by Photo Rob.
Why It’s a Big Deal:Ready to Die was so important to us: 1, Because Big was one of the best rappers coming out of Brooklyn and 2, that album actually shifted hip-hop back to the East Coast. I was 12 years old at the time, but I was tapped in. I knew so many West Coast songs, it was like I was from L.A.
Favorite Song: The whole album is a masterpiece but if I had to pick a song as My favorite it would be “Everyday Struggle.” Coming up in Far Rockaway, Queens, I knew about the struggle, but that song hits home to the youth. I feel there’s two roads you can take: one to success or failure. That song helped me with struggling, but to see Big become successful, that struggle became a pot of gold for him. Us as listeners should learn from these types of songs and apply pressure.RASHEED CHAPPELL
Press photo.
Photo courtesy of Rasheed Chappell.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Many people feel Ready To Die “brought back the East Coast.” I don’t subscribe to that theory though. Many artists on this side were dropping classic albums; Naughty By Nature, Redman, Wu-Tang, Onyx, Nas, ATCQ, [Queen] Latifah, O.C., Pete Rock and CL Smooth, just to name a few. I think what makes the album such a staple is the energy around the record, Bad Boy being a new label, music videos getting bigger budgets, the mixtape game and Big’s charisma, voice and Brooklyn-ness shined on this record. He had humor with, cadence and really showed command of his craft on records like “Unbelievable” and “The What.” His bop on “Juicy” is just stellar. The album also introduced us to Lil’ Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. It was an energy in everything about it that people try to still duplicate. Having worked with some of the producers that touched this album, l see the reverence they hold for Big and his presence has made a lasting impression on the culture.
Favorite Song: My favorite track on the album is “The Whut.” Listening to him and Meth bouncing off of each other is just simply dope hip-hop. Easy Mo Bee was in his BAG when he produced this. Right now, today,this bangs!! I remember my cousin Shareef had the tape and it was maybe 2-3 in the morning and l probably rewound this song about 10-15 times. Good thing the projects have concrete walls!!Doodie Lo
Rapper Doodie Lo performs onstage during the '7220' Tour at YouTube Theater on April 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images.
Why It’s a Big Deal: It’s important to me ’cause it was honest. So many people from places like Brooklyn where Biggie was from and where I’m from Kankakee take so many risks to provide for their family to just make it out of tough circumstances that were mentally wired to be Ready to Die. We understand what comes with those risks. We see it every day in our hood and on the Ready to Die album he was just telling that story about it.
Favorite Song: “Suicidal Thoughts”BigBABYGUCCI!
BIGBABYGUCCI performs onstage at "RapTV Presents: Rolling Loud Music Showcase" during 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Stubb's on March 19, 2022 in Austin, Texas.
Photo by Shedrick Pelt/Getty Images for SXSW.
Why It’s a Big Deal: It was important to rap because it solidified the East Coast’s presence in music when the West Coast was really taking over
Favorite Song: The best song has to be "Juicy" for sure.Erica Banks
Erica Banks backstage during TwoGether Land Festival at Fair Park on May 26, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.
Photo by Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Because the artist, the project, and the time frame were important to rap culture. It helped mold the module we use today.
Favorite Song: "Juicy" and "Big Poppa" were my favorite two songs.JSWISS
(L-R) Marcus Machado, Justin Swiney, JSWISS and Samir Zarif attend Dave Chappelle's Birthday Celebration at TAO Uptown on August 24, 2017 in New York City.
Photo by Cassidy Sparrow/Getty Images for TAO Group.
Why It’s a Big Deal: One of the most standout things to me about the album is how Biggie demonstrated himself as a masterful storyteller and a hitmaker out the gate with his debut album. To this day, it's rare to find MCs who can truly do both at a high level, and I think 30 years later it still serves as a blueprint for artists looking to tackle the challenge.
Favorite Song: My favorite song from the album is "Big Poppa."Cory Gunz
Cory Gunz attends Webster Hall on April 23, 2014 in New York City.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
Why It’s a Big Deal:Ready to Die is important to the culture because it showcased Biggie’s storytelling skills and introduced him to the world. That album was a clear indicator of where Biggie’s career was headed. It’s one of those albums that influenced me and other generations. Songs like “One More Chance” and “Juicy” are still being played at functions to this day!
Favorite Song: “Warning.”Biggie painted a picture with his words on that track and that’s the true definition of an artist.Chuck Strangers
Rapper Chuck Strangers (L) and Nicole Plantin pose backstage at Mac Miller's performance at House of Blues Sunset Strip on December 5, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images.
Why It’s a Big Deal: One of the reasons I think that it's really important to the rap culture as a whole is that it proves that you can really be focused on making something that's really good and really credible artistically and have mainstream appeal. So I think that Biggie on this first album really kind of displayed that. I can't really think of anyone else at that time who was able to do that like him.
I am a heavy-set, dark-skinned dude and [Biggie’s success] was important for me to see. [It was] one of the reasons why I was able to — not the sole reason, but one of the reasons — I was able to love myself. Look at this guy. He's got all the confidence in the world. He's so good. That matters. This man who is not a marketing firm's dream, but he still was able to just kill it and became so loved and admired by women and by men alike. It made me feel like I could do something extraordinary as well.
Favorite Song: “Everyday Struggle.” The everyman aspect of it. “They don't know about the stress-filled days, baby on the way, mad bills to pay / That's why you drink Tanqueray so you can reminisce.” On bad days, that song just felt like a hug from somebody who knows what you're going through, too and you'll get through it. It was one of those songs that really helped me in my life. I'm so glad he made it. I'm so glad it exists.Al Doe
Press photo.
Photo by Albert Segarra.
Why It’s a Big Deal: For me, Ready to Die came at a time when the West Coast was goin’ crazy. I think Snoop’s Doggystyle came out a little before Ready to Die,too. Some people think the whole East Coast-West Coast [rivalry] wasn’t really a thing, but at the end of the day, rap is a competitive sport. In my opinion Ready to Die was just a perfect representation of Big’s life, upbringing and story. It showcased his lyrical ability and his range to jump in and out of different flows, pockets and songs. It’s also his only album that came out while he was still alive so that alone is crazy. You could still play that album today. Illmatic came out a few months before Ready to Die,too so I know Big was like “Nah, this nigga Nas going crazy, let me show these niggas.” I personally like Life After Death more, but “Ready To Die” is definitely an important piece of rap history.
Favorite Song: I really want to say “One More Chance,” ’cause I loved when Biggie talked that fly shit and he owned everything about himself, so it was wild clever and slick. So it’s a toss-up, pause, but I would probably have to say “Warning.” The picture he painted was relatable to any nigga comin’ up gettin’ a couple of dollars. It still applies today. “It’s the ones that smoke blunts wit ya.” That’s how shit still is today, whether you hustling or you got a 9-5 there’s always some jealous ass human hating.Cavalier
Press photo.
Photo by 35MMGOLD.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Ready to Die is a foundational work. Aside from introducing The Notorious B.I.G as a capable solo artist, it became nearly a blueprint for what you needed to do to make a work capable of covering all the bases. Big had party anthems, storytelling, and hard street raps. And it all was cohesive. After De La Soul, Big was giving us the lesson on what a complete album sounded like.
Favorite Song: My favorite song from Ready to Die is "Warning." Super creative, Big’s storytelling is top tier and he raps dialogue between people on the song.Che Noir
Press photo.
Photo by Luqmann.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Ready to Die was the first album I ever heard that felt like a full audio movie. I remember hearing “Gimme the Loot” and jumping out of my seat with excitement. Craziest song I’ve ever heard.
Favorite Song: “Gimme the Loot”Skyzoo
Press photo.
Photo by Robert Adam Mayer.
Why It’s a Big Deal: As someone who grew up a block away from Biggie, I have a personal connection to Ready to Die. My house was on St. James Place between Gates and Greene, and Biggie's was on St. James between Gates and Fulton, so when I hear Ready to Die, I always say that album is literally about my neighborhood. For me the importance is seeing my neighborhood come to life on record. The big guy up the block who turned into an international superstar, seemingly overnight, made a record that everyone heard and my friends and I actually saw.
Favorite Song: My favorite song on [Ready to Die] is "Everyday Struggle." Obviously, Biggie was a vivid storyteller, and I think that record sums up the album perfectly as far as the concept of it as a whole. It's melancholy and emotional without being sad, which is a rare feat to pull off. The beat to me is one of the top three beats on the album, and Big spoke on being at a point of no return as far as how he saw his life in the moment, without sounding depressive, which had really never been done before, especially in hip-hop. Biggie painted pictures without question, and as great as all of his work later on was, Ready to Die is my personal favorite.Moco (Free Party)
Press photo.
Photo by Nick Innella. Photo illustration by Kaushik Kalidindi.
Why It’s a Big Deal: I was a baby when that joint dropped, for real. But my older brother was a huge Biggie fan, so I always heard him and that album in particular playing around the crib. So I started listening to him heavily myself. The cultural impact that shit had on the East Coast was important in that time cuz how crazy the West was going.
Favorite Song: My favorite joint always changes but right now it’s “Suicidal Thoughts.” The storytelling, cadence, flows, that shit was so ahead yo lol and still influencing a lot of artists right now all these years later including myself.Chris Patrick
Press photo.
Photo courtesy of Chris Patrick.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Ready To Die is in my top five favorite rap albums EVER. In regards to myself, this shit changed my life for the better and basically helped solidify my path to becoming a rapper. I ran this back a lot during COVID.
Favorite Song: My favorite songs from this masterpiece aside from the hits like “Juicy” and “Big Poppa” [IS] “Everyday Struggle.”Cochise
Rapper Cochise poses backstage on day 3 of Lollapalooza at Grant Park on July 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images.
Why It’s a Big Deal: I mean, it’s the start of a legacy that’s still celebrated and given its flowers three decades later.
Favorite Song: All of them.Bay Swag
Bay Swag performs during day three of Wireless Festival 2024 at Finsbury Park on July 14, 2024 in London, England.
Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage.
Why It’s a Big Deal: Ready to Die is a rags-to-riches story for most of us to this day. I wasn’t born till five years later, but I remember my dad always talking about Biggie even though his rap career was short-lived. He was far ahead of his time with his slick lyrics that we still recite still today. His flamboyant gangster style really reflected everything going on in the Urban community in real time. No one at the time could tell a story the way he did. Rather it was having fun.
Favorite Song: I want to say “Juicy” is my favorite song, but “One More Chance” is right up there.Benny The Butcher
Benny the Butcher performs at the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 7, 2024.
Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage.
Why It’s a Big Deal: It was important because it was a manual to making an East Coast gangster album. It had R&B, club songs and music people in the streets could relate to.
Favorite Song: “Gimme the Loot”
Rome Streetz
Music Video
Credit: Rome Streetz
Why It's a Big Deal: It’s important to me because it’s one of the first albums I ever bought. I only copped it ’cause it was a baby on the cover and I identified with it because I was a child at the time. Biggie would go on to be my favorite rapper, so I never forgot how I was drawn to the album without knowing anything about it at first.
Favorite Song: "Everyday Struggle"
