‘ Miss U’ demonstrates the variety on Life After Death, providing another change in tone as B.I.G laments the deaths of a friend and a girl he saw as his ‘little sister’. Although they are less accessible to casual hip-hop fans, both are gripping and underline Biggie’s true talent for storytelling. Darker in tone are ‘What’s Beef?’ and ‘Niggas Bleed’. ‘ Going Back to Cali’ in particular has a g-funk sound reminiscent of Snoop Dogg’s classic Doggystyle. ‘ Mo Money Mo Problems’ and ‘ Going Back to Cali’ also stand out, bringing an upbeat party vibe to the album.

It is arguably one of the greatest rap songs of the 90s and shines even on this classic album. ‘ Hypnotize’ is the third track on the album, probably the most popular (it has nearly 40 million more streams on Spotify than the classic ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’) and has one of the most iconic hooks in hip hop – ‘ biggie biggie biggie can’t you see/ sometimes your words just hypnotize me’. Kelly provides an irresistible hook on ‘ You Tonight’. The album also boasts some impressive features – it’s great to hear Biggie team up with Jay-Z on ‘I Love The Dough’, and R. Life After Death still feels fresh and relevant, no doubt in part due to its lack of 90s pop-culture references. Biggie, unlike some mainstream rappers today, never gives us pointless lines or nonsensical rhymes – everything he does works towards the song’s narrative. At times grim, often violent, but always compelling, the album paints a picture of life on the edge. Life After Death carries on where Ready to Die left off, opening with the sound of a heart-rate monitor flat-lining. Nearly 20 years later, it is as potent as ever and deserves to be considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time.ī.I.G.’s first album, Ready to Die, finished with Suicidal Thoughts – and the sound of Biggie shooting himself whilst his friend pleads desperately with him. His viscous, captivating flow and cinematic storytelling can be found in abundance on Life After Death, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.

A staple on lists of the greatest rappers ever (Billboard put him at number one in 2015), Biggie has proved enduring in his popularity. Shot dead in LA just sixteen days before the release of his second album, he deserves his place amongst hip hop’s legends on the strength of his music alone. (Christopher Wallace) reflects that “ you’re nobody ‘till somebody kills you”. On the posthumous Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G. A review of the Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary album 20 years on from its release:

Life after death biggie review