The Way it Was: The Notorious B.I.G., Life After Death
The second and final proper studio album from The Notorious B.I.G. turns 27 years old this month. The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls, aka Biggie, aka Christopher Wallace) released his second studio album, Life After Death, on March 25, 1997. The album was critically acclaimed and sold nearly 700,000 copies in its first week and has since been certified Platinum six times over. It also featured contributions from artists such as Too Short, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, D.M.C. and Jay-Z. Despite the controversy surrounding the feud between Biggie and Tupac Shakur, the album is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Clint Hale in Entertainment
On a semi-recurring basis, the Houston Press will deep-dive an album that dropped on that particular month in the '90s. Some were well-received. Others not. Some have held up. Others, far from it. Some marked an artist’s critical or commercial peak. Others simply set the table for more greatness to come. Regardless, they all helped constitute a decade that ranks among the most influential in music history.
This is “The Way it Was.”
The artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
The album: Life After Death
The release date: March 25, 1997
By the time The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls, aka Biggie, aka Christopher Wallace) readied his sophomore studio album, anticipation was high. After all, its predecessor – 1994’s critically acclaimed– had already gone Double Platinum (it has since been certified Platinum six times over) on the strength of iconic singles like “Big Poppa” and “Juicy.” Biggie was one of the two biggest rappers on the planet, one who happened to be embroiled in a heated feud with the other biggest rapper on the planet, Tupac Shakur.The Biggie-Tupac feud is more than well-documented at this point, so no need to rehash in great detail. In short, what began as diss tracks, coastal rivalry and awards show trash talk turned to something far more real, and far more tragic. Shakur, only 25 at the time, was murdered on the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996, and the 24-year-old Biggie was gunned down in Los Angeles in March of the following year.was released 16 days later.Landscape-altering might be an understatement.sold nearly 700,000 copies in its first week; it has since joined the elusive Diamond Club, for albums that move north of 10 million copies. The album was critically acclaimed, topping a number of year-end “best of” lists. It’s now regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and with good reason.After all, the double album is no easy feat. Many (even some of the good ones) are bloated, indulgent, and perhaps most frustrating, are hiding a great album that might have emerged had the artist in question trimmed things down a bit.is an exception to this rule. It logged 25 tracks, over two hours in length, and it feels lean as hell.Not only that, whereaswas short on supporting artists,featured valuable contributions from such storied artists as Too Short, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (more on them in a minute), D.M.C. and a young up-and-comer by the name of Jay-Z.The stuff of legend.is widely regarded among the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time, which unfortunately, marked the last proper studio release from one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop artists of all time. If only the world had gotten to see what else Biggie had in store for it.“Mo Money Mo Problems.” The second single fromfeaturing Puff Daddy, Mase and Kelly Price, spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997. Coincidentally enough, it displaced Puffy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” which served as a posthumous tribute to Biggie. That single spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and later won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.“Notorious Thugs.” Biggie’s flow was never in question, but to so seamlessly and effortlessly adopt Bone’s rapid and fiery delivery is really something to behold. For over six minutes, it was Bone and Biggie, Biggie. And it was epic.
Topics: Music