If Ya Don't Know, Now Ya Know

“The greatest rapper of all-time died on March 9th,” – Canibus, "2nd Round Knockout"

Whether you consider the Notorious B.I.G. the greatest rapper of all-time or you prefer Jay-Z, Nas, 2Pac, Em or perhaps Rakim, there’s no doubt Biggie is a first-ballot Hall of Famer in hip-hop terms and would or at least should be in the top 5, more likely top 3 of any hip-hop fan. Personally, 2Pac is, was and always will be my favorite rapper. But Pac doesn’t edge Biggie by much. Lyrically, I’d take Biggie any day, but 2Pac had a much more expansive catalog, therefore has more songs that are among my favorites. I’ve simply spent more years enjoying Pac’s music. But this is all about Biggie today.

14 years ago, Christopher Wallace was gunned down, taking away one of the greatest voices, lyricists and overall MCs of all-time. And we, the hip-hop fans, have suffered greatly from the loss.

Think about all the possibilities if Biggie was still alive. Collaborations with Eminem (“Dead Wrong” doesn’t count as a true collabo since it was recorded posthumously, but my God it’s tremendous), M.O.P. (how this didn’t happen anyway is beyond me), Kanye West, 50 Cent (or potentially a beef with 50 Cent), DMX, Ludacris, Game, etc., etc., etc.

Since 1997, Jay-Z has put out 9 albums. If Biggie did half of that, we’d have at least four more Biggie albums. An average of 15 tracks an album gives us at least 60 more Biggie songs, not to mention guest spots and soundtrack appearances. At that rate, Biggie’s greatest hits disc would be a 3-disc set at the very least.

Biggie is one of the greats for so many reasons. He was one of, if not the best story tellers to ever bless the mic. “I Got A Story To Tell,” “Everyday Struggle,” “N-ggaz Bleed,” and “Warning” are among the best examples.

Notorious B.I.G. also made commercial hip-hop that didn’t sell his skills short at all. “Hypnotize” was a blatant attempt at grabbing the mainstream. It succeeded on every level. It was a club banger and found constant radio rotation. But Biggie remains as lyrical as ever on it. He even says, “At my arraignment/Note for the plantiff/Your daughter’s tied up in a Brooklyn basement.” And that got played on the radio non-stop.

For Ready To Die, Biggie dropped “Juicy,” “Big Poppa” and the “One More Chance” remix all with great commercial success. But he also released one of the grittiest songs on the album in “Warning” (my favorite Biggie song of all time) in between those singles.

And no one ever stole the spotlight when doing a track with Biggie. “Flava N Ya Ear (Remix)” - Biggie owned it. “Brooklyn’s Finest” with Jay-Z - Biggie was the show stopper. “The Points” which featured everyone from Redman to Busta Rhymes to Buckshot and Bone Thugs, Biggie opened the song and easily had the most memorable verse on the whole thing. He even invited Bone Thugs onto Life After Death for “Notorious Thugs” and out did them using their rhyme style. The only other rapper I can think of that has never been outshone on a track is Eminem. And I would love to see them both at the height of their careers making songs together to see who would get the upper hand.

But what sets Biggie apart is Em has made commercial records which have flat out sucked (“We Made You” and “Just Lose It” come to mind) and Biggie hasn’t. As has Jay-Z (“Girls Best Friend”; "Money Ain't A Thang" ugh) and Nas (“Nastradamus”; "You Owe Me"). Encore was also a blemish on Em’s career, although he has made amends with Recovery. Jay-Z has released a few mediocre albums in Kingdom Come and Blueprint 2, and Nas swung for the mainstream and missed in a major way with Nastradamus. And Rakim, although one of the most influential and most quoted rappers of all time, hasn’t put out the best music over the latter stage of his career (although we all know he still has it in him. Why couldn’t Oh My God ever get finished and released?!!!)

So that leaves 2Pac. And where your allegiance lies between the two of them is your call. I can’t argue for or against either. I said before that Pac is my favorite of all-time, but it looks more like 2Pac is 1A and Biggie is 1B on my list.

I remember every Biggie video, hearing each single for the first time and rushing to Circuit City first thing on Tuesday, March 25, 1997, to get my hands on Life After Death. Quick story about that release. My friends were tipped off that someone got a case of the double-disc off a truck and was selling them at a flea market the Saturday before the album dropped. They had the album at my house and in my CD player later that night. I got to hear “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” before the album even hit shelves and my buddy said at the time that the song would be a hit. Damn was he right.

Not surprisingly, Biggie’s influence remains today. Jay-Z has recited Biggie lyrics so many times I’ve lost count. And how many songs have Biggie lyrics as hooks? Put “Juicy,” “Big Poppa,” or “Hypnotize” on at any house party or club and watch people go wild.

Today’s always a sad day when thinking about all we lost with Biggie’s murder. But when you take the time to think about his music and where you were when you first heard that voice it brings a smile to your face.

And remember, “It was all a dream……”