Ready to Die: Analyzing Biggie Smalls’ Diamond-Certified Masterpiece

Ready to Die is The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album. Born Christopher Wallace, Biggie Smalls (a pseudo name) rose to fame after releasing this album in 1994. The album would end up going quadruple platinum and was eventually certified diamond in 2000.

I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing this project, and the intro track sets a tone unlike any other. It starts with a heartbeat and Biggie being born, transitions into him growing up with abusive parents, and then winds up with him coming out of jail after serving his sentence for robbing a train in 1987.

The intro ends with Biggie saying, "I got big plans nigga... big plans," as "Things Done Changed," track two, comes in. In these first two tracks, you can hear a lot of samples of "classic" hip-hop.

The whole premise and point of the first two songs is to tell you that the happy-go-lucky days of hip-hop that used to be—the days Biggie used to listen to—are either over or never existed. You also get the very real sense that Christopher Wallace is a "bad bad..." man because of the situation he was placed in.

The Mystery of the Ghetto

Biggie paints a vivid picture of how the environment shifted from community hangouts to survival of the fittest. He raps:

"Motherfuckers was all friendly Loungin at the barbeques, drinkin brews with the neighborhood crews, hangin on the avenues. Turn your pagers, to nineteen ninety three Niggaz is gettin smoked G, believe me... all of this to me, is a mystery I hear you motherfuckers talk about it But I stay seein bodies with the motherfuckin chalk around it... Damn, what happened to the summertime cookouts? Everytime I turn around a nigga gettin took out... Either you're slingin crack rock or you got a wicked jump-shot Shit, it's hard being young from the slums eatin five cent gums not knowin where your meals comin from" — Things Done Changed

On track three, "Gimme The Loot," the listener starts to understand why his name is Notorious. Biggie talks about being a thief, stealing, and robbing for loot. I imagine that Biggie, as the name implies, was not only lyrically imposing but physically as well.

Standing at six foot three inches, it is estimated Chris Wallace weighed over 300 lbs. This track was one of Biggie's more popular songs, which is probably attributed to his crazy flow and hilarious antics. He challenges anyone to stop him: "So go get your man bitch he can get robbed too! Tell him Biggie took it, what the fuck he gonna do?" — Gimme The Loot

Vigilante Justice and Paper Chasing

"Gimmie The Loot" ends with a shoot-out with the cops as it transitions into "Machine Gun Funk." Track five, "Warning," talks about how "niggas" from Biggie's neighborhood are after his "paper."

Like Wu-Tang, it's clear that Biggie ain't nuttin' to fuck wit. "What'cha gonna do when Big Poppa comes for you? I'm not run'n, nigga I bust my gun in, hold'on I hear somebody come'n" is how Biggie ends his rap. However, the song ends after Biggie kills two guys trying to "run up" on his house.

In the kind of environment Biggie was involved with, unfortunately, vigilante justice was the way many disputes were solved. So track six, "Ready to Die," informs the listener that Biggie will do whatever it takes to get his money.

From The Streets to the Sheets

Track seven signifies a change in the album's focus. Between "One More Chance" and "Fuck Me," the listener starts to understand why girls call Chris "B.I.G."

Track nine features Method Man, one of only two features on the whole project. Of course, everybody knows "Juicy," track 10, the ultimate anthem for upward mobility. But the mood swings back in "Everyday Struggle," where Biggie raps about why he doesn't want to live anymore.

Then, Notorious expands on his gross and back-handed love-approach toward women in "Me & My Bitch." Track 13 is another classic with "Big Poppa," which solidified his status as a superstar.

Respect and the Final Word

"Respect," track 14, is basically an autobiography of Biggie, again highlighting the environment he has been surrounded in. "Friend of Mine" divulges why Notorious calls women "bitches and hoes"—in his view, it's because they sleep around with his friends and they "know that ain't right."

"She's sayin' I dissed her 'cause I'm fuckin' her sister. A message to the fellas, that really gets'em pissed, uh. But she started that fuckin' family, She fucked my man Dee, so why she mad at me?" — Friend of Mine

By the time you get to track 16, "Unbelievable," you’ll notice two things: first, Biggie doesn't like to do his own hooks... and second, what's unbelievable is his skill.

The album ends with "Suicidal Thoughts," track 17, which explains why Chris is so eager to kill himself. He feels like he's never been anything to anyone but a "fuck up." He raps about his criminal record and, in his own way, apologizes to his mother for everything he put her through.

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Master the Science of Greatness

If you want to understand how Biggie’s bars, presence, and mythology turned him into a Diamond-certified legend, you need to read my book. I use a 10-point grading system to analyze what actually makes a rapper great.

Check out "Who's the GOAT?" and see how we grade the legends.

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