| Ready to Die | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by The Notorious B.I.G. | |
|
Released |
September 13, 1994 |
|
Recorded |
1993-1994 |
|
Studio |
The Hit Factory and D&D Studios (New York City, New York) |
|
Genre(s) |
Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, gangsta rap, G-Funk |
|
Length |
69:05 |
|
Label |
Bad Boy Records, Arista |
|
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 album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released in 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The label's first release, it features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. Recording for the album took place in 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal, with the album beginning with his birth in the song "Intro" and ending with his suicide in the album closer "Suicidal Thoughts".
Ready to Die received strong reviews upon its release and became a commercial success, reaching quadruple platinum sales. It was significant in revitalizing the East Coast hip hop, as it was released amidst West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance. The album's second single, "Big Poppa", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Ready to Die has been regarded by several music critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Track listing
Edit
| 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 |
