Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How can I put this?, July 22, 2001
Hmm it's a good album...wait no a great album...forget that it's the BEST album. When biggie dropped this album it hit like an atomic bomb, totally re-arranging the rap world and driving the fledging east-coast back to the top. Normally I would tell you my favorite tracks but I'll just break it down with the whole damn CD is amazing. From the intro to the ending "Suicidal Thoughts" The Notorious BIG put down everything thats essential for an instant classic, and believe it or not Puff Daddy...oh excuse me "P. Diddy" laced this whole album up with amazing beats. If I could give this CD 10 stars I would, and like several reviewers on here mentioned, how could you give it anything less? And finally this last part is for all angry Tupac Shakur fans coming down on this CD with 1 star reviews and cursing, Tupac and Biggie were equally great we all know it, but some of us would rather stay angry. But isn't that anger the same kind that made us lose the two greatest MC's Tupac and Biggie? Think about it, and grab this CD. Peace.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Essential Album for the Thinking Rap Fan, August 17, 1999
By A Customer
"Ready to Die" is an essential album for true rap fans. Yes, Biggie explores the usual gangsta trappings (clothes, bank rolls and ho's, etc.). What separates this work from most the rest of the cookie-cutter rappers out there is that Biggie writes with intelligence, style and wit. His lyrics are what separate this album from the rest of the heap - he expresses himself with the clarity and cleverness more typically found in a classic songwriter. The samples and beats behind the lyrics compliment most of the material perfectly and are a refreshing break from the played-out R&B/Funk West Coast sound. B.I.G. uses humor, intelligence and vivid imagery subtely and lets the listener fill in the gaps. Like Nas' debut album "Illmatic"(also highly recommended!), "Ready to Die" is a refreshing departure from the Top 40-driven rap/hip hop scene predominant today. It's rap that you won't feel embarassed to listen to.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Album, March 25, 2005
In 1994, The Notorious B.I.G. came out with what I think is the greatest rap album ever created. Biggie had an amazing rhyme style which he unleashed in every single song. He could change his style from song to song and still managed to keep in character. He made songs that showed what he knew about when he was growing up hustling. His raps are easy to understand but he manages to still make them outstanding. Biggie's loose and easy flow made his songs great. When he begins to pile multiple rhymes on top of one another you know you're hearing a classic. My favorite aspect of The Notorious B.I.G. is his dramatic storytelling and how easily he slips in and out of different characters.
1. Intro - Nice intro to introduce The Notorious B.I.G. into the game.
2. Things Done Changed - Very deep song. Great to start off this album. Really defines himself with this song about changes. "Back in the days, our parents used to take care of us. Look at em now, they even f***ing scared of us!" 10/10
3. Gimmie The Loot - Classic track. Biggie flawlessly portrays two different characters. This song is funny and has some classic lines. "I wouldn't give f*** if you're pregnant. Give me the baby rings and a #1 MOM pendant!" 10/10
4. Machine Gun Funk - Great lyrics, great beat and sample. "Relentless approach, to know if I'm broke or not, Just cause I joke and smoke a lot, Don't mean I don't tote the glock." 10/10
5. Warning - A great song. One of his best actually. This song shows Big's storytelling ability and manages to inject some humor and his lyrics are perfect. "There's gonna be a lot of slow singin, and flower bringin if my burgular alarm starts ringing." 10/10
6. Ready To Die - Classic song. Biggie tears up the 1st verse and when you hear him finish off the verse, you know it's a classic. 10/10
7. One More Chance - Good song with a good beat. Not a standout track in my opinion but it's still great. The phone messages in the beginning are annoying though. 8/10
8. #!*@ Me - Strange skit. Go ahead and skip it. Definately not worth a second listen.
9. The What - One of the rawest songs on the album. It features Method Man who completely tears it up. As usual, Biggie holds his own. "Excuse me, flows just grow through me like trees to branches, Cliffs to avalanches. It's the praying mantis." 10/10
10. Juicy - A now classic song about growing up in the hood and finally making it big. 10/10
11. Everyday Stuggles - Great song about growing up in the ghetto. Nice deep song with nice beat and great lyrics. "Packed up my tools for my raw power moves. Glock nineteen for casket and flower moves. For chumps tryin to stop my flow, and what they don't know will show on the autopsy." 10/10
12. Me & My B*tch - Great song about his girl who met a sad fate. Big manages to lay some deep rhymes throughout this depressing story. "She helped me plan out my robberies on my enemies.Didn't hesitate to squeeze, to get my life out of danger. One day, she put 911 on the pager." 10/10
13. Big Poppa - Now a classic song. Not really much to be said about it that hasn't already been said. 10/10
14. Respect - Good song with a Reggae twist. BIG just rapping about his ascent in the world since birth. Tight rhymes as usual. "I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy. The doctor looked and said, 'He's gonna be a Bad Boy'" 9/10
15. Friend Of Mine - Probably my least favorite song on the album but BIG still manages to lay out some nice rhymes in this song about girls cheating. 7/10
16. Unbelievable - Pretty nice beat but once again, it's Biggie's rhymes that carry this song. "Rappers can't sleep, Need sleepin. Big keep creepin, Bullets heat-seekin, Casualties need treatin, Dumb rappers need teachin." 9/10
17. Suicidal Thoughts - My Favorite song on Ready To Die. BIG's rhymes are flawless and he manages to explain everything he feels he's done wrong that justifies his suicide. Classic and depressing ending to a classic album. 10/10
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by The Notorious B.I.G. 
