Notorious B.I.G.

Today in Hip-Hop History: The Notorious B.I.G.’s Posthumous Third LP ‘Born Again’ Dropped 24 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, the late Notorious B.I.G. released his second posthumous album, Born Again. This project was a compilation album featuring old recorded verses over newer beats with guest features. The album had a high reception rate, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and selling 485,000 albums in the first week. It sold so well that it was certified double platinum a month and seven days after its release.

The album’s critical reception was mixed, to say the least. Many critics were stuck in between whether this album was merely a way for Bad Boy Records to cash in on an opportunity or a tribute album to arguably the best rapper of all time. Rolling Stone wrote that the “album won’t damage his legacy, but Born Again won’t improve that legacy much either.” Late in 2004, the magazine stated that “The posthumous Born Again proved Biggie was still dead, but his place in the MCs Hall of Fame remains untouchable.” Whether or not these reviews ring true to listeners is up for debate, but what is certain is that the star-studded cast of features on this project definitely helped Biggie flex his abilities even from the grave. Features on the project included greats such as Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method Man, Missy Elliott, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg and although these are titans of rap, none of them were able to outshine the Notorious B.I.G. For Biggie fans, this project was a gift from the afterlife. It has become a must-have among all diehard fans of the late king of New York.  The album made appearances on the top music charts all over the world and has sales that continuously increase due to the successes of Biggie in his life. After this project, Bad Boy released one last posthumous album titled Duets: The Final Chapter in 2005.

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Diddy’s Sexual Assault Allegations Didn’t ‘Taint’ The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take,’ Says Sting

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Diddy is entangled in a mountain of legal woes. The former head of Revolt TV has been accused of sex trafficking, sexual assault, abuse, and more. Since the allegations surfaced many industry insiders have attempted to create distance from him as not to be found guilty (in the public’s eyes) by association.

Yesterday (November 11), Sting did just that when asked about the controversy surrounding Diddy. During an interview with LA Times, Sting shut down the idea that The Police’s hit “Every Breath You Take” has been soiled as a result of Diddy.

When asked if the band’s famed smash, which was sampled by Diddy for the Notorious B.I.G. tribute track “I’ll Be Missing You” featuring Faith Evans and 112, was tainted Sting rejected the notion.

“No,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know what went on [with Diddy]. But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me. It’s still my song.”

The interview argued with Sting’s response, saying: “And people still love to hear it.”

“Absolutely,” chimed Sting.

Given that The Police’s “Every Breathe You Take” was already a chart-topping global smash back in 1983 and has maintained critically praise over the decades, Sting seems to have a point in many supporters eyes.

Today In Hip Hop History: Lil Kim Dropped Her Debut LP ‘Hard Core’ 28 Years Ago

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Today in Hip Hop History, Lil’ Kim released her debut album Hard Core on November 12, 1996. The Brooklyn-born pint-sized rapper changed the course of hip hop.  Before Megan Thee Stallion bounced in a thong and before Nicki Minaj wore the colorful wigs— there was Lil Kim. Her album Hard Core album showed women in a different light compared to what we had seen from veterans like MC Late and Queen Latifah.  Lil Kim unabashedly spoke on her sex life and what she demanded from any man trying to court her. From her fashions to her hair to her aggressive rap style, she ushered women into the 2000s with sexy confidence we hadn’t seen before.

“No Time” quickly became an anthem and girls everywhere initiated Lil Kim as the Queen. There was an unforgettable promo poster released that stirred up a conversation and was plastered all over New York City. She and her crew Junior Mafia became one of the biggest groups in Hip hop led by the late great Notorious B.I.G.   Today we salute Lil Kim for a classic album, that still knocks to this day. Check out some of our favorites of the album Hardcore.  

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Elon Musk Calls Eminem a ‘Diddy Party Participant’ for Supporting VP Kamala Harris

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Elon Musk Surpasses Jeff Bezos As The Richest Man In The World Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Elon Musk Surpasses Jeff Bezos As The Richest Man In The World Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
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Elon Musk isn’t happy that Eminem is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the election. With news breaking of Slim Shady introducing former president Barack Obama at a Detroit rally, Musk would levy a wild allegation on Em’s name.

Seeing the message, Musk wrote in regards to Eminem: “Yet another Diddy party participant.”

You can see it below.

As far as the accusations, it’s highly unlikely Eminem was at any Diddy “freak off.” Eminem took some very vicious shots at Diddy on his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de grâce): Expanded Mourner’s Edition, where Em recruits Shady Records’ Westside Boogie and Grip while he delves into Hip Hop’s most reputed unsolved murders and he pulls no punches about who the culprit is.

On “Fuel” Shady goes in on the troubled mogul, rapping, “So who’ll be picked next, whose name gonna be next up? / Notorious B.I.G.’s death was the domino effect of Tupac’s murder / Like facial tissue, whose clock should I clean next? Puff’s? / ‘Til he’s in police handcuffs, guilty, will he step up? / Like gee, never turned himself in, who knows all the murders there’ll have been?!?”

The original version of Fuel featured J.Cole’s artist JID, who, among other things, criticized Diddy for the infamous Cassie video.

The Bad Boy founder always denied any involvement in the shooting deaths of either Big or ‘Pac and there’s no evidence that he will be subpoenaed in Duane “Keefe D” Davis’ ongoing murder trial in Vegas.

Eminem fans are actually upset with his latest offering, complaining about the long wait for an album that only contains three tracks.

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[WATCH] Lord Jamar Points Out Biggie’s “Out Of Pocket” Lyrics, Blames Diddy

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In an exclusive sit down with Hip Hop podcast Art Of Dialogue, vocal Brand Nubian member Lord jamar delves into the lyrical content of one of the Notorious B.I.G.’s classic hits amid Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering scandal and says that some of Biggie’s bars aren’t aging well in this day and time.

“Biggie has some of the most out-of-pocket lyrics of any rapper ever and hopefully there will never be a rapper with worse lyrics,” Jamar injected into the convo. “But there’s so much sh*t that Biggie said that people just overlooked at the time and now, when we fast-forward to where we’re at, and hear about all the sh*t with Puff, now, certain things are not aging. It was bad back then but it’s aging even worse.” He went on to say, “I don’t care how good a woman looks, I would never give fellatio to her father because she’s so beautiful.”

Jamar then expounded on an industry rumor that there was a transgender “dude” in the videos for “Big Poppa” and in the bed with Biggie in the visuals for “Warning”. He went on to say that the same transgender was in the “Flava In Ya Ear” (Remix) video dancing behind LL Cool J, who began his verse saying “HeShe!”

He concluded his take on the current climate around Diddy by saying, “With all of this baby oil splashing around, you’re gonna get some on you. If you get some on you, that’s when things start to get slippery.”

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Eminem Blames Diddy For The Deaths Of Tupac And Biggie On Latest Track “Fuel” From ‘The Death Of Slim Shady’ LP

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Eminem took some very vicious shots at Diddy on his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de grâce): Expanded Mourner’s Edition, where Em recruits Shady Records’ Westside Boogie and Grip while he delves into Hip Hop’s most reputed unsolved murders and he pulls no punches about who the culprit is.

On “Fuel” Shady goes in on the troubled mogul, rapping, “So who’ll be picked next, whose name gonna be next up? / Notorious B.I.G.’s death was the domino effect of Tupac’s murder / Like facial tissue, whose clock should I clean next? Puff’s? / ‘Til he’s in police handcuffs, guilty, will he step up? / Like gee, never turned himself in, who knows all the murders there’ll have been?!?”

The original version of Fuel featured J.Cole’s artist JID, who goes in on Diddy about the infamous Cassie video among other things.

The Bad Boy founder always denied any involvement in the shooting deaths of either Big or ‘Pac and there’s no evidence that he will be subpoenaed in Duane “Keefe D” Davis’ ongoing murder trial in Vegas.

Eminem fans are actually upset with his latest offering, complaining about the long wait for an album that only contains three tracks.

The post Eminem Blames Diddy For The Deaths Of Tupac And Biggie On Latest Track “Fuel” From ‘The Death Of Slim Shady’ LP first appeared on The Source.

The post Eminem Blames Diddy For The Deaths Of Tupac And Biggie On Latest Track “Fuel” From ‘The Death Of Slim Shady’ LP appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut LP ‘Ready To Die’ Turns 30 Years Old!

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On September 13, 1994, Notorious B.I.G., alongside producers Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, Poke of the Trackmasters, and none other than “Puffy” (as Diddy was called then) as the executive producer, released the Hip Hop masterpiece known as Ready To Die.

As Big’s debut album, this highly anticipated release shows the lyrical prowess of the Bed-Stuy big man, and besides Method Man’s assistance on the epic “The What?” track, Mr. Wallace made it happen all by himself. Other than Nas’ Illmatic, no other solo emcee accomplished that feat on the East Coast during that era. Recognized as “The King Of New York” and as seen on a vintage 1995 Source Magazine cover, Big’s legacy was etched in stone with this LP.

Timeless classics from that four-and-a-half mic-er include the DJ Premier-produced “Unbelievable,” the back-and-forth storytelling adventures of “Warning” and “Gimme The Loot,” and the eerie title track itself were just a few of the highlights of this legendary project. That’s not to forget the mainstream success of singles such as “One More Chance,” the Brooklynplayalistic sound of “Big Poppa,” and, of course, the hood inspirational, Mtume-based “Juicy.”

We only had the chance to get one more album(prophetically named Life After Death) out of one of the game’s greatest lyricists before he was prematurely killed in Los Angeles in 1997. Still, this album will always remind us that B.I.G. was “Ready to Die” because his talent was and will always be larger than life.

Salute to Big (RIP), Premier, Easy, Poke, Lord Finesse, Diddy, Lil’ Kim, and the entire Wallace family for this classic masterpiece!

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut LP ‘Ready To Die’ Turns 30 Years Old! first appeared on The Source.

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Rhino Records Announces Biggie Smalls ‘Ready To Die’ 30th Anniversary Re-Issue

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The Notorious B.I.G.’s multi-platinum debut, Ready to Die, celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special 2-LP reissue featuring newly reimagined limited edition cover art.

On September 13—the album’s original release date—Ready To Die (30th Anniversary) will be available as a double album on black vinyl from Rhino.com and biggiemerch.com. On the same day, a color vinyl edition will be available exclusively at select retailers.

Earlier this year, the Library of Congress inducted Ready To Die into the National Recording Registry. In the essay accompanying the induction, author and journalist Justin Tinsley writes, “In its true essence, the album is a response to American capitalism and just how deadly the pursuit of money could be and was for so many–in particular, young Black folks in America. ‘Ready To Die’ is a response to so many moments in American history before it: the economic crisis that nearly crippled New York in the 1970s, the crack explosion of the ’80s (and the unfathomable violence and destruction it brought) and Reagonomics, ‘Stop-And-Frisk’-era policies that crippled Black communities… ‘Rolling Stone’ dubbed the album ‘the precise moment when hip-hop’s golden age transitioned into its modern age, the height of New York hip-hop and the sound of the greatest rapper of all time at the absolute top of his power.’”

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The album’s lead single, “Juicy,” achieved gold certification upon release and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, crossing over to reach No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since its release, the platinum-certified track has garnered over 1 billion streams and was named the best hip-hop song of all time by the BBC. The second single, “Big Poppa,” was an even bigger success; with over 1 billion streams to date, it topped the Rap and R&B charts and reached No. 6 on the Hot 100. It was certified platinum at the time and nominated for the GRAMMY® Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. In addition, a remix of “One More Chance” topped the Rap and R&B charts and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. 

The iconic record has been certified 6x platinum and is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever, making the Apple Music 100 Best Albums of All Time and No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time.

LP One: Side One

  1. Intro
  2. “Things Done Changed”
  3. “Gimme The Loot”
  4. “Machine Gun Funk”
  5. “Warning”

Side Two

  1. “Ready To Die”
  2. “One More Chance”
  3. “F*$K Me”
  4. “The What”
  5. “Juicy”

LP Two: Side One

  1. “Every Day Struggle”
  2. “Me & My Bitch”
  3. “Big Poppa”
  4. “Respect”

Side Two

  1. “Friend of Mine”
  2. “Unbelievable”
  3. “Suicidal Thoughts”
  4. “Who Shot Ya”

The post Rhino Records Announces Biggie Smalls ‘Ready To Die’ 30th Anniversary Re-Issue first appeared on The Source.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Puff Daddy And The Family Released Their Only Album ‘No Way Out’ 27 Years Ago

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On this date in 1997, the Hip Hop mogul formerly known as Puff Daddy, put an album together with the entire Bad Boy Hip Hop roster and dubbed them “The Family” and released the label’s only collaborative effort, Puff Daddy and The Family’s No Way Out on the Bad Boy imprint.

Less than a year after the untimely death of the Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, who was then known as “Puff Daddy”, along with Ma$e, Black Rob, Loon and a few other Bad Boys for this monumental album.

The Grammy Award winning album went platinum in one year’s time with the help from tracks like “All About The Benjamins (Remix)”, “Been Around The World” and “I’ll Be Missing You” featuring Phil Collins, dedicated to the late executive producer of the album and co-architect of the Bad Boy legacy, Notorious B.I.G.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Puff Daddy And The Family Released Their Only Album ‘No Way Out’ 27 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut Single ‘Party & Bulls**t’ Was Released 31 Years Ago

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In the summer of 1993, a young record exec who was known as “Puff Daddy” started a label called Bad Boy Records which premiered two records to launch the label; the first being the premier track from the legendary Notorious B.I.G. called “Party & Bullshit”. The song appeared on the soundtrack of Who’s The Man, a movie with Hip Hop’s who’s who starring Yo! MTV Raps‘ Ed Lover & Dr. Dre.

Biggie Smalls became one of the most prolific MCs in the history of the culture and is arguably one of the best that the game has ever seen. Before B.I.G. became “Notorious”, Biggie and Junior Mafia were only about “Party & Bullshit”. Salute to B.I.G., Diddy, Bad Boy, and the whole Brooklyn.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Notorious B.I.G.’s Debut Single ‘Party & Bulls**t’ Was Released 31 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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