It seems unreal that the late, great Notorious B.I.G. has been out of our lives for over 20 years now. Today would’ve been Big’s 47th birthday, and needless to say, he’s still one of the most revered artists in hip hop and music history, period. It’s almost magical how much he accomplished in such a short amount of time in the industry.
@FemaleHipHop: He released 2 classic albums & he made “Junior Mafia” successful. Lil Kim was one of the artist that biggie took under his wing & she is now one of the greatest female rappers of all time
But what people remember most about the Brooklyn legend is that he was one hell of an emcee.
@MissyElliott: Biggie Smalls was way ahead of his time! He made us visualize what he rhymed about! He is a rare breed emcee! Only 1 Biggie!
@mackwilds: Yo, R.I.P. to one of the best who’s ever done it, Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace. Bumpin’ Biggie all day!!!!!
Biggie’s lyrics and flow were such a cultural force that fans young and old still bump his music like it just dropped this week. The Brooklyn legend did so much during his short time in the rap game that he’s probably your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper and definitely an all-time great in any debate. In a 2015 Pusha T wrote an Op-Ed for Rolling Stone expressing his love and respect for the Notorious one:
“I believe the Notorious B.I.G. was the greatest rapper who’s ever lived. I remember in ’94, when Ready to Die came out, I was in 11th grade, living in my mother’s house in Virginia. There was a frenzy at my high school, arguing and talking about that album. We used to spend hours in the car, reciting his raps, trying to figure out what in the hell made him veer off in this way or that way. Some rappers just say a punchline, and it’s like, “OK, we get it.” But Big delved deep. He was a master painter with words. And his flow was just so effortless. I mean, I think I’m an awesome writer, but my bars still sound like bars. Big had all these intricacies, all these colors, all these witty things – and it didn’t sound like a rap. It was a conversation.”
To honor Biggie on what would be his 47th trip around the sun, join us in acknowledging some of the greatest bars Christopher Wallace ever spit.
1. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Ready to Die”
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“When I die, f*** it, I wanna go to hell / Cause I’m a piece of shit, it ain’t hard to f***g tell / It don’t make sense, going to heaven with the goodie-goodies / Dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
2. Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & LL Cool J – “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)”
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“Disappear, vamoose, you’re wack to me / Take them rhymes back to the factory / I see the gimmicks, the wack lyrics, the shit is / Depressing, pathetic, please forget it.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Unbelievable – Biggie (Original Version)
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“Live from Bedford Stuyvesant / The Livest one / Representing BK to the fullest / Gats I pull it bastards ducking when Big be bucking.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
4. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Machine Gun Funk”
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“Sticks and stones break bones, but the gat’ll kill you quicker / Especially when I’m drunk off the liquor.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
5. The Notorious B.I.G – “Everyday Struggle”
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“But they don’t know about your stress-filled day / Baby on the way, mad bills to pay / That’s why you drink Tanqueray, so you can reminisce / And wish you wasn’t living so devilish, shit” – The Notorious B.I.G.
6. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Victory”
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“Rhyme a few bars so I can buy a few cars / Then I kick a few flows so I can pimp a few hoes / Excellence is my presence never tense / Never hesitant leave a nigga bent real quick.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
7. Busta Rhymes feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Modern Day Gangstas” [Unreleased]
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“Catch my drift, or catch my four-fifth lift / At least six inches, above project fences.” – The Notorious B.I.G.