80.
ready to die
the notorious b.i.g. [bad boy, 1994]
the leering specter of Thanatos loomed larged over Christopher Wallace; Glock under the pillow paranoia, disenfranchised cynicism, and self-fulfilling death-drive prophecy dominate his recorded output as the Notorious B.I.G. plagued by inner turmoil, operating against the harsh socioeconomic realities of his upbringing, and driven by a vindictive desire to undermine his naysayers, Biggie squashed the competition with unmatched lyrical dexterity, vivid, semi-autobiographical narratives, and seemingly unrepentant immorality. Ready to Die is an archetypal, self-aggrandizing debut rap record, functioning on dichotomous mythological themes: birth and death, defeat and triumph, love and hatred, sin and punishment. Big epitomizes self-contradiction; he's a gleefully gun-toting sociopath on "gimme the loot" and a recklessly misogynistic Lothario on "big poppa," yet full of lament and remorse on "things done changed" and histrionic self-hatred on "suicidal thoughts," where he describes himself as a "piece of shit." his cleverness is disarming; puns, self-deprecation, and wordplay help elevate the tales of debauchery and debasement, murder and mayhem from violent smut to lucid street poetry. the unobtrusive production, mainly by Puff Daddy and Easy Mo Bee, either revels in decadent soul samples or skitters by with hard-edged percussion, depending on the tenor of the rhymes. "juicy" is the record's definitive moment, a rags-to-riches story full of bravado and wit, detailing Big's ascension from disillusioned petty thug to the unquestioned Don of hip-hop. though gratingly obnoxious and unnecessarily crude skits impede its intensity, Ready to Die is not only a nihilistic piss-take on the American Dream, an unflinchingly harsh depiction of the struggle to achieve power and success in the face of despair, but also a portal into the twisted psyche of a troubled, complex personality.
my double, my brother moment: i always thought that there was a guest rapper on "gimme the loot." apparently, the "guest" is Biggie himself, using a higher-pitched voice. the only "real" guest rapper on the album is Method Man on "the what."
