Biggie proves that there is Life After Death in His music

The Notorious B.I.G.'s sophomore album, his final one to be released before his death: Life After Death. A very fitting name... But is the album really Classic?



Track List & Ratings: Disc 1



1 Life After Death Intro (NOT RATED)

2 Somebody's Gotta Die (5 Stars)

3 Hypnotize (5 Stars)

4 Kick in the Door f/ Madd Rapper (5 Stars)

5 F*ck You Tonight f/ R. Kelly (3 1/2 Stars)

6 Last Day f/ The Lox (4 Stars)

7 I Love the Dough f/ Jay-Z & Angela Winbush (1 1/2 Stars)

8 What's Beef? (4 Stars)

9 B.I.G. Interlude (NOT RATED)

10 Mo Money Mo Problems f/ Puff Daddy and Mase (1 Star)

11 N*ggas Bleed (5 Stars)

12 I Got a Story to Tell (5 Stars)



Overall, the first disc of Life After Death is very impressive. With only two skippable tracks, one interlude, and about five classics, i think the first disc is very well done and a nice start





Track List & Ratings: Disc 2



1 Notorious Thugs f/ Bone Thugs & Harmony (5 Stars)

2 Miss U f/ 112 (4 1/2 Stars)

3 Another f/ Lil Kim (3 Stars)

4 Going Back to Cali (4 1/2 Stars)

5 Ten Crack Commandments f/ Chuck D (4 Stars)

6 Playa Hater (1 1/2 Stars)

7 Nasty Boy (3 Stars)

8 Sky's the Limit f/ 112 (5 Stars)

9 The World is Filled... f/ Puff Daddy, Too Short (1 1/2 Stars)

10 My Downfall f/ DMC (4 1/2 Stars)

11 Long Kiss Goodnight (3 1/2 Stars)

12 You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You (5 Stars)



4,5 stars rounded up to 5

Biggie's Legacy: 2 Albums, 2 Classics

The Notorious B.I.G. came out with a classic album in 1994 entitled "Ready To Die". I think that it is the best rap album ever made. Those are some big shoes to fill and leave it to Biggie to manage to create a classic on his second album as well. "Life After Death" is not quite as good as his 1st album and it's not as dark or raw but it's still an excellent CD. It's basically a sequel to his first album and it picks up right where "Ready To Die" left off, as do his skills. After three years, Biggie dropped this epic in 1997. It's a classic album sprawled over two discs (24 songs) and there isn't really that much filler (if any). This is a great follow-up to "Ready To Die".



Disc one

Intro - Good intro that picks up right where "Ready To Die" left off (literally).



Somebody's Gotta Die - My favorite song. This is Biggie at his storytelling best. He creates a vivid story of revenge and he lays out some amazing lyrics over this haunting beat. "Revenge I'm tastin at the tip of my lips. I can't wait to feel my clip in his hips." 10/10



Hypnotize - Great party song. Good beat, good lyrics. "Gon' blast, squeeze first, ask questions last. That's how most of these so-called gangsters pass." 9/10



Kick In The Door - Great song with some really tight lyrics from BIG. He's got some classic rhymes over this great beat by DJ Premier after a pretty funny skit with the Madd Rapper. "Ain't no other kings in this rap thing. They siblings, nothing but my chil'ren. One shot, they disappearin." 10/10



#!*@ You Tonight - Pretty nice song with R.Kelly for the ladies. Big's got some nice rhymes and it's got a good beat. 8/10



Last Day - Pretty hot song produced by Havoc. It features LOX and they all tear up their verses as does Biggie. "You still apoligizin, analyzin, my size and your size and realizin, a fist fight would be asinine" 9/10



I Love The Dough - Great song. I think of it as the sequel to "Brooklyn's Finest" on "Reasonable Doubt". Again, both Biggie and Jay-Z produce some classic lyrics. "You ain't fazing the amazing. While your gun's raising, mine is blazing." 10/10



What's Beef? - Good song over a pretty catchy beat with a lot of strings. Puffy gets annoying but Biggie's got some more great, slow rhymes. "My Calico been cocked. This rap Alfred Hitchcock drop top notch, playa hating won't stop." 9/10



B.I.G. Interlude - Nothing special or notable other than that it's produced by The Notorious B.I.G. He just spells out his name.



Mo Money Mo Problems - Very catchy beat but it got overplayed. Still, Ma$e provides a nice verse as does Big. Puffy is OK. "Me lose my touch? Never that. If I did, ain't no problem to get the gat." 8/10



N****s Bleed - Another great song in which BIG tells a gripping story. It's got a great, dark beat. By the end of this song, you feel like you're in that hallway. "Nothing to lose, tattooed around his gun wounds. Everything to gain, embedded in his brain." 10/10



I Got A Story To Tell - Funny story BIG tells about what happens when a guy walks into his house where Biggie's with the guy's girl. Afterwards, BIG tells the story again but not in song. 9/10



Disc Two



Notorious Thugs - Good song with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Shows Biggie's range as he speed raps successfully with Bone Thugs. Catchy hook as well. "Doesn't it seem odd to you? Big come through with mobs and crews." 10/10



Miss U - Depressing song that Big sings about friends that have died (mainly about his boy "O"). "I'm a thug, but I swear, for three days I cried. I looked in the sky and ask God why. Can't look his baby girls in the eye." 9/10



Another - Pretty weak song featuring Lil Kim. Probably considered filler. Pretty bad techno sounding beat too. 6/10



Going Back to Cali - Classic song about Cali. Great beat and some great lines by Big. Funny phone conversation between BIG and Puffy at the beginning. "All I got is beef with those that violate me. I shall annihilate thee." 10/10



Ten Crack Commandments - Classic song basically about how to be a successful drug dealer. Clever lyrics and delivery. "Don't you know Bad Boys move in silence or violence? Take it from your highness. I done squeezed mad clips at these cats for they bricks and chips." 10/10



Playa Hater - Very funny song with BIG singing about how to rob. It's just funny hearing him sing (or at least try). 9/10



Nasty Boy - I don't know. I don't think that there's anything really special about this song. The beat's kind of annoying and the song's not a standout by any means. 6/10



Sky's The Limit - Great inspirational song by Biggie who basically explains his ascent in the world. It's sad hearing him look forward to his future though. "Only make moves when your heart's in it and live the phrase 'Sky's The Limit'" 9/10



The World is Filled - Unncessesary song. Too Short and Puffy make guest appearances but they're not memorable. 7/10



My Downfall - Creepy song with BIG talking about people out to get him. Great beat and lyrics and DMC handles the chorus. "Not too many keep a mill in the briefcase. Infrareds help me sleep safe." 10/10



Long Kiss Goodnight - Another great, dark song at the end of this album. Some really great rhymes in here over this beat by RZA (Wu-Tang Clan). "Laugh now cry later, I rhyme greater than the average player haters and spectators." 10/10



You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You) Perfect ending for The King of New York even though it's very creepy listening to it. Classic lyrics and great beat by Puffy. "As I leave my competition respirator style. Climb the ladder to success escalator style." 10/10

Most overrated album in Hip-Hop history...

Let me first say that I am not a big 2pac fan. Nor am I a East Coast or Biggie hater, (I think Ready to Die is a 4 star album). I know this opinion won't be popular. I don't care. This album almost sucked. If it weren't for "Kick In The Door" and "Long Kiss Goodnight", it would suck. I don't understand why EVERYONE considers this album a classic. P-Dummy somehow convinced Big to dump his wonderful hip-hop sensibility and street knowledge to make money with this album. Big went for it. That's all I can figure. Life After Death is the polar opposite of Ready to Die. Ready to Die had 2 pop songs that were big hits. Life After Death has 2 dope street songs that no one even cares about. If Big hadn't died, I'd bet this album would not have gotten the accolades that it got and continues to get. This record has recycled beats, sellout pop tracks, and reintroduces Mase, and allows skill-less Puffy to springboard a career as a rapper like he always dreamed of... And we call this a classic?