Ready to Die

Ready to Die
Studio album by The Notorious B.I.G.
Released	September 13, 1994
Recorded	May 1993 - February 1994
Studio	The Hit Factory (New York City, New York) D&D Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre(s)	East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop, Gangsta rap, Conscious hip hop, Underground hip hop
Length	69:05
Label	Bad Boy Records / Arista Records
Producer(s)	Bluez Brothers, Sean "Puffy" Combs (also exec.), DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Lord Finesse, Poke, Darnell Scott, Chucky Thompson

The Notorious B.I.G. chronology
Next	"Life After Death" (1997)

Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.. It was released on September 13, 1994 through Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. Recording sessions took place at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City from May 1993 to February 1994. Its the label's first release, Production was handled by Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, Darnell Scott, Lord Finesse, Bluez Brothers and Poke. It features a guest appearance from Method Man (of Wu-Tang Clan). The partly autobiographical album tells the story of B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal.

The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Ready to Die released the four singles: "Big Poppa", "Juicy", "One More Chance" and "Warning". On November 15, 1994, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with shipping over 57,000 units in its first week of release. Ready to Die received widespread critical acclaim from music critics and the album was a commercial success.

Legacy

Rolling Stone ranked Ready to Die at #22 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020.

Track listing

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Time
1.	"Intro"	-	-	Sean "Puffy" Combs	3:24
2.	"Things Done Changed"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Owen, Scott, Wallace	Darnell Scott	3:58
3.	"Gimme the Loot"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Harvey, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	5:04
4.	"Machine Gun Funk"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Harvey, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	4:17
5.	"Warning"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Harvey, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	3:40
6.	"Ready to Die"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Combs, Harvey, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	4:24
7.	"One More Chance"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Combs, Ellis, Glover, Thompson, Wallace	Bluez Brothers, Chucky Thompson, Sean "Puffy" Combs	4:43
8.	"Fuck Me (Interlude)"	-	Combs, Wallace	Sean "Puffy" Combs	1:31
9.	"The What"	The Notorious B.I.G., Method Man	Harvey, Smith, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	3:57
10.	"Juicy"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Combs, Olivier, Wallace	Poke, Sean "Puffy" Combs (co.)	5:02
11.	"Everyday Struggle"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Ellis, Glover, Grusin, Mason, Wallace	Bluez Brothers	5:19
12.	"Me & My Bitch"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Combs, Ellis, Glover, Thompson, Wallace	Bluez Brothers, Chucky Thompson, Sean "Puffy" Combs	4:00
13.	"Big Poppa"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Wallace	Chucky Thompson, Sean "Puffy" Combs	4:13
14.	"Respect"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Casey, King, Wallace	Poke, Sean "Puffy" Combs	5:21
15.	"Friend of Mine"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Harvey, Wallace	Easy Mo Bee	3:28
16.	"Unbelievable"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Kelly, Martin, Wallace	DJ Premier	3:43
17.	"Suicidal Thoughts"	The Notorious B.I.G.	Hall, Wallace	Lord Finesse	2:50

Samples

Intro

• "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield
• "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang
• "Top Billin'" by Audio Two
• "Tha Shiznit" by Snoop Dogg

Things Done Changed

• "California My Way" and "Summer Breeze" by The Main Ingredient
• "Lil' Ghetto Boy" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger

Gimme the Loot

• "Smokin' Cheeba-Cheeba" by Harlem Underground Band
• "Don’t Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps
• "Coldblooded" by James Brown
• "Just to Get a Rep" by Gang Starr
• "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx
• "Singing in the Morning" by Ohio Players

Machine Gun Funk

• "Something Extra" by Black Heat
• "Up for the Down Stroke" by Fred Wesley and The Horny Horns feat. Maceo Parker
• "Chief Rocka" by Lords of the Underground

Warning

• "Walk on By" by Isaac Hayes
• "Thinking" by The Meters
• "Freak of the Week" by Funkadelic

Ready to Die

• "Hospital Prelude of Love Theme" by Willie Hutch
• "Ain’t No Half Steppin'" by Big Daddy Kane
• "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
• "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes feat. Sharon Paige
• "Singing in the Morning" by Ohio Players

One More Chance

• "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr.
• "All This Love" by DeBarge

Fuck Me (Interlude)

• "Feenin'" by Jodeci

The What

• "Overnight Sensation" by Avalanche
• "Can't Say Enough About Mom" by Leroy Hutson

Juicy

• "Juicy Fruit (Fruity Instrumental Mix)" by Mtume

Everyday Struggle

• "Either Way" by Dave Grusin
• "Outside Love" by Brethren
• "Don’t Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps

Me & My Bitch

• "Wino & Junkie" by Richard Pryor

Big Poppa

• "Between the Sheets" by The Isley Brothers
• "Dolly My Baby (Bad Boy Extended Mix)" by Super Cat feat. 3rd Eye, Puff Daddy and The Notorious B.I.G.

Respect

• "I Get Lifted" by KC & the Sunshine Band feat. George McCrae
• "Gun Man Tune" by Pan Head
• "Check Yo Self" by Ice Cube

Friend of Mine

• "Seventh Heaven (Larry Levan Remix)" by Gwen Guthrie
• "The Jam" by Graham Central Station
• "Thinking" by The Meters
• "Spirit of the Boogie" by Kool & the Gang

Unbelievable

• "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers
• "Your Body's Callin'" by R. Kelly

Suicidal Thoughts

• "Lonely Fire" by Miles Davis
• "Outside Love" by Brethren

One More Chance (Remix)

• "Stay With Me" by DeBarge

Just Playing (Dreams)

• "Blues and Pants" by James Brown