If you don’t know who the Notorious B.I.G (Biggie) is, then you must live under a rock.
I’m going to go through the greatest hit album released to give you a taste of some of his biggest songs from when he was alive.
Three of the most famous club hits by Biggie include “Juicy,” “Big Poppa,” “Hypnotize” and “One More Chance/Stay with Me (Remix).” These songs were guaranteed to appear on the setlist at clubs or parties in the ‘90s. Decades later, these top songs haven’t faded at all.
Honorable mentions include “Get Money,” which spent a lot of time on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Warning,” with storytelling through lyrics and the music video featuring a gun fight. Similarly, “Who Shot Ya” is one of the most classic Biggie anthems with great flow that lasts for ages.
I’m on the fence about the posthumous release of “Dead Wrong” because there is no way to know if he would’ve liked the remixes and verses from other songs, added in later. They also did this with Korn, a metal band, on a song remixed with Biggie.
Although the song is good, posthumous releases are strange because the artist can’t provide a stamp of approval.
“Ten Crack Commandments” is a breakdown on the rules of selling drugs, and it has contagious beats with excellent punchlines. On the other hand, “Notorious Thugs” featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony takes it easy by featuring a piano on the beat.
Obviously, “Notorious B.I.G.“ is a song with a decent groove to it that holds the same title as the rapper himself.
However, “Unbelievable” is one I never really felt like represented the classic Biggie, and “Nasty Girl” is another unpopular song.
“Want That Old Thing Back” combines some hints of R&B to the Notorious B.I.G.’s flow with tons of sexual innuendos within the lyrics. Closing is “Fuck You Tonight,” also leaning more into the R&B, a song that hones in on the way ladies flock to him.
“The Notorious B.I.G. – Greatest Hits” can’t be deemed as such when it’s missing some of Biggie’s best songs by far. Give the following a listen: “Suicidal Thoughts,” “Gimme the Loot,” “Sky’s the Limit,” “Machine Gun Funk,” “Kick in the Door,” “Party and Bullshit” and “What’s Beef.”
It is still up for debate whether the label tried to cultivate an album full of his best songs or if it was all about money, since a biographical film about him would come out only two years later.
