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A breakdown thread for the album "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G, released in 1994 which is one of the best albums oat among all genres and a personal favourite of mine. (1/22)
'Ready To Die' is one of the best east coast hip-hop records of the 1990s and an all-time hip-hop classic that sounds just as relevant in 2021 as it did when it was released back in '94 on the legendary Bad Boy Records company run by Sean 'Puffy' Combs. (2/22)
Ready To Die is a concept album and chronicles Biggie's life from birth to death. The intro starts in 1972 with Christopher Wallace being born in the labor room to Curtis Mayfield's 'Superfly'. (3/22)
Then it transitions to 1979 and you can hear Biggie's father arguing and shouting with his wife (played by Lil' Kim) saying "You can't control that boy?!" and Kim responds that he's a "dumb motherfucker!" (4/22)
Next, we have a scene were Biggie coaxes a friend into robbing a train set to the sound of Audio Two's "Top Billin" from 1988. They then proceed to rob the train as they shout "Get on the floor motherfucker !" while they shoot off shots from a shotgun. (5/22)
In the next scene, Biggie is getting released from prison to Snoop Dogg's track "Tha Shiznit" in 1993 (after serving 5 years for the robbery). Biggie says to the prison guard "You won't see me up in this motherfucker no more! I got big plans n***a! Big plans!" (6/22)
After the intro, we dive right into the albums first cut, "Things Done Changed" which sample Dr. Dre's "Lil' Ghetto Boy" on the chorus, the track is an intense affair and is very uncommercial. (7/22)
Next up Biggie does some role-playing on "Gimme The Loot" where he tells a story and does a two-voiced rap explaining the art of armed robbery in detail. (8/22)
Next, we have two more interesting songs, "Machine Gun Funk" is a New Jack Swing style beat , while "Warning" is a chill beat and some more multi-voiced rapping. (9/22)
Track six is the title track and one of the best tracks so far with a hardcore and morose beat with Biggie delivering some morbid lyrics with a vicious twist of battle lyrics. (10/22)
Next up Biggie goes full sex mode on "One More Chance", the track has a low key beat and features an r&b hook from Debarge. After the song ends Biggie fucks Lil' Kim on the "Fuck Me (Interlude)" with Lil' Kim delivering some sex talk. (11/22)
Track 9 is "The What" featuring Method Man and is a standout track and the first light-hearted song on the album:
Fuck the world, don't ask me for shit
Everything you get you gotta work hard for it (12/22)
Fuck the world, don't ask me for shit
Everything you get you gotta work hard for it (12/22)
Track 10, "Juicy", is one of hip-hop's all-time classics and a great feel-good track featuring biographical lyrics from Big and a sweet chorus delivered by girl group Total. (13/22)
The track offers a variety of themes such as: childhood dreams, accomplishments, success and family values, and these themes make 'Juicy' the classic track it is and a bright light on this album which is frequently quite dark. (14/22)
Next, we have the mediocre "Everyday Struggle" with depressing, albeit creative lyrics, describing more street hustler scenarios. Track 12 is titled "Me & My Bitch" and chronicles an intense ghetto romance filled with crime and passion. (15/22)
Track 13 introduces the playa "Big Poppa" who is a smooth, suave, and sophisticated ladies man. The beat is extremely laid-back and has some melodic elements which are very similar to Dr. Dre's G-Funk sounds. (16/22)
Rounding out the album we have "Respect" which features a hard-hitting beat which is pretty catchy. talking about the gun-toting lifestyle mixed with a party/dancehall vibe. (17/22)
Next Biggie coaxes a girl into giving him a blowjob in a skit full of slurping dick sucking sounds before launching into "Friend of Mine". (18/22)
The last track on the album is the gloomiest of them all and is aptly titled "Suicidal Thoughts" :
When I die, fuck it, I wanna go to hell
'Cause I'm a piece of shit, it ain't hard to fuckin' tell. (19/22)
When I die, fuck it, I wanna go to hell
'Cause I'm a piece of shit, it ain't hard to fuckin' tell. (19/22)
After a few minutes of self-hating and remorsefulness, Biggie kills himself at the end of the song as you hear him shoot himself over the phone. (20/22)
A sad and tragic ending to a great concept album that doesn't glorify the crime life but describes all the misery of living in a way that is centered on violence and crime on a daily basis. (21/22)
End of thread, thank you for reading.
Likes and RTs are appreciated
(22/22)
Likes and RTs are appreciated
(22/22)
