But what the Estate of Christopher Wallace, Rhino Records, Bad Boy, and Atlantic have in store for the Life After Death 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe release will blow it out of the water.
The Notorious B.I.G.For those who might remember, Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die 2013 Record Store Day release was highlighted by sleek white vinyl records that matched the color of Biggie’s signature suit. However, his legacy continues to live on, and seemingly grows stronger by the day, a testament to the brilliance and endurance of Life After Death. The two-disc album provided the perfect vehicle to display the talents of a life that was cut way too short at the age of 25. Kelly, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Angela Winbush and 112, Biggie delivered one of hip-hop’s seminal releases thanks to his vivid storytelling and sharp wordplay. With a cast of collaborators that included the likes of R. It continues on through songs like “Somebody’s Gotta Die,” “Last Day” featuring The LOX, “Niggas Bleed,” “Miss U,” “You’re (Nobody Til Somebody Kills You)” and the album’s final single, “Sky’s The Limit.” Each centered squarely on the loss of life in all of its facets from the mourning to the fear. Even the album’s cover eerily stuck to the theme, showing the rapper standing next to a hearse. When he wasn’t busy boasting of his riches and the privileges - and problems - his wealth afforded him, he stayed true to the overarching theme of death that had been woven into his music since his debut album Ready to Die. The album’s second single, “Mo Money Mo Problems,” would give him his second posthumous chart-topping single. Selling 690,000 copies within its first week, it would eventually go on to be certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2000 and is considered one of the best-selling rap albums of all time. Life After Death was quickly lauded as one of hip-hop’s most important releases, earning critical acclaim and record sales in the process. Little did anybody know that when the video premiered that the danger in store for the popular Brooklyn rapper wasn’t contained only to the small screen.įollowing his death, Puffy stuck to the album’s intended release date, placing Biggie in the small fraternity of artists with post-humous releases. The Paul Hunter-directed video showed him living in the lap of luxury as he and Sean “Puffy” Combs evade dangerous, unknown attackers.
It also became his first top 10 hit in the U.K. 2 spot on Billboard Hot 100 before ultimately taking the top spot after his death. A mere eight days before his death, Biggie had celebrated the release of Life After Death‘s lead single, “Hypnotize,” and from the looks of things, appeared on top of the world.
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