One of the most traumatic moments of my young life was when my mother interrupted my Saturday morning to inform me, “they killed another one of the rappers you like. The big one.” While she could careless at the time about who that rapper was, I did care.
The Notorious B.I.G was one of my favorite rappers at the time. His lady chasing, blunt smoking, gun-toting persona resonated in me. His lyrical style was similar to the poetry of Langston Hughes. Subtle, yet hard-hitting. Relevant to the times, but more importantly, to a particular person. How Hughes “A Dream Deferred” stuck in my head and helped me see my block in a different way, Ready to Die did the same.
I spent months after B.I.G.’s death wondering what would come of any of this. The violence in hip-hop, the violence I see daily in my neighborhood. Biggies death really touched me.
Later, I would receive a gift that would give me hope again. My girlfriend at the time surprised me with a B.I.G’s postumous album, Life After Death. A double-album, this would be the last batch of new lyrics, new prose from Biggie. I took that album everywhere I went. I absorbed every bar. I needed this. I needed this moment. I wasn’t alone. 10 million copies later, Life After Death still plays across the globe.
March 25th 1997, the music world was gifted this classic album. On today, I encourage everyone to light one up and reminisce about one of the best to ever do it. The dark stories behind “Somebody Gotta Die” and “Your Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)” to the uplifting “Skys The Limit” we got a glimpse of an artist fully coming into his own. “I Got A Story To Tell” is still hailed as one of the best stories put on record ever.
Stream Life After Death below
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn8lpQwVMAVuh2ds-Q8Hu4ygs_5aziJMi;