22. The Notorious B.I.G., "Ready to Die"

 

You may not see a lot of parallels between Jim Morrison and Biggie Smalls, but both were musical artists who died in the prime of their careers, very young (Morrison was 27, Biggie 24) and by unnatural means.  And both were obsessed with death.  Death as a theme, a willingness to accept and an awareness that it's coming, is shot through this record, Biggie's debut, released in 1994, even beyond the title itself.  From "Everyday Struggle":

I don't wanna live no more
Sometimes I hear death knockin' at my front door
I'm livin' every day like a hustle, another drug to juggle
Another day, another struggle (Right)
I don't wanna live no more

And "Suicidal Thoughts":

Suicide's on my fuckin' mind, I wanna leave
I swear to God I feel like death is fuckin' callin' me
But nah, you wouldn't understand
Nigga, talk to me please, man!
You see, it's kinda like the crack did to Pookie in New Jack
Except when I cross over, there ain't no comin' back (Ayo, ayo, man, I'm out)
Should I die on the train track like Ramo in Beat Street? (I'ma call you when I get in the car)
People at the funeral frontin' like they miss me (Ayo, where your girl at, man?)

So now it all seems horribly prophetic, given that Smalls was gunned down in LA just days before the release of his second album.  This record, widely regarded as one of the finest rap albums of all time, paints a grim picture of drug dealing and violence on the streets of New York City; in fact, it revitalized East Coast rap at a time when West Coast was predominant.  It does it with a combinatrion of factors; not just Biggie's easy, comfortable flow, but his adept rhyme schemes and ability to conjure a mental image with just a few strokes.

In "Juicy," the lead single, Biggie boasts about how far he's come:

I made the change from a common thief
To up close and personal with Robin Leach
And I'm far from cheap, I smoke skunk with my peeps all day
Spread love, it's the Brooklyn way
The Moët and Alizé keep me pissy, girls used to diss me
Now they write letters 'cause they miss me

Rap braggadocio is about as rare as pickups in country music, but there's a panache here that's not always found.  Production on the record is largely understated; there's almost always that big booming drum sound that characterizes the East Coast sound and then some carefully chosen samples that are there to serve the vocals. "Everyday Struggle," for example, is based on the drums from the first few seconds of "Don't Change Your Love" by the Five Stairsteps and a synth and string sample from Dave Grusin's "Either Way," an easy listening 1980 album.  They're put together and then Biggie raps about selling drugs and his rise through the game.

Let me be straight here: I don't love this album.  I admire it, and respect it, but it's just not one that I really vibe with, for whatever reason.  Sorry, Biggie.

Is this album in my personal Top 100? No.