As I sit here in my Biggie t-shirt, wishing for a T-bone steak, cheese eggs and Welch's grape on March 9th, 2016 -- the day marking the 19th anniversary of Biggie Smalls death, I can't help but feel lucky. Lucky at the fact that I have a platform to share in the remembrance of the life and career of Christopher George Latore Wallace, a chance to tell the world that this legend's music changed my life. I have a chance to say that he is the reason I fell in love with hip-hop off flow alone and I love that I have a chance to share his music well after his untimely death.
Biggie's music will always be able to speak for itself. He is definitely in my top three MC's of all time and arguably the greatest storyteller to ever grace the mic. Big created the blueprint for rappers, not only lyrically, but with lifestyle. Aside from Biggie being one of the most referenced rappers ever, and one who's lyrics probably get borrowed the most frequently, he kept the extravagant fashion aspect of hip-hop going just as much as Big Daddy Kane. The fur, the Coogi sweaters, the cars, the mafioso way he carried himself, how he truly embraced that lavish lifestyle with food, clothing and partying to women became as notorious to the persona as his flow or size. Big's arrival in the rap game is basically how Jay Z modeled his entire career during its early stages. That's how ahead of the game he was, that's how influential he was. Everyone wanted to be like Big. Some of A$AP Yams (rest in peace) style resembled Biggie at times. Even after death, he was the party. And that translated and was forever cemented in his music.
Big Poppa is arguably his most iconic song, a pure party record. Throw that on at any gathering and the atmosphere gets mad Marvin Gaye. You feel the love and revel in great times. The same goes with the One More Chance remix or Hypnotize. But Big could easily turn on the dark and gritty with his raps. His street soldier roots that always existed within him would manifest, never feeling like a facade. Biggie never projected someone that he wasn't. He was legit. For example, take one of my favorites by Biggie, Gimme The Loot. The way Big takes us through the entire plan of the heist, the way he lyrically works his way into the minds and starts reasoning with the two robbers, how he keeps it comical while painting such a realistic image. It's a scenario that is totally believable because that's what he came from. It is also only accomplished with certain cadences and versatile flows to decipher between different moments. It amazes me every time I hear it. There's nothing like his music. There's nothing like The Ten Crack Commandments. There's nothing like Suicidal Thoughts. Those songs shocked and awed, showing that there are multiple emotions an MC can spit about and go through. TTCC showed street life first hand and Biggie laid down the know how to survive. He went into a space a lot of people wouldn't. He brought a realistic perspective to music, showing everything isn't good all the time. And that's crucial for people to know.
Of course, then, he can flip the script again with a track like Juicy. Juicy is Big zoning in on his life. He was a master at articulating his experiences, bringing whomever was listening directly into the black experience coming from Brooklyn, being expected to fail by everyone around you at that time. It is again coming from a real place. And Juicy has the most memorable lines ever. Almost everything Biggie Smalls says in this song is still brought up today. Specifically "Born Sinner/the opposite of a winner". Without that line the entire outcome of J. Cole's second studio album Born Sinner could have been completely different. That's how influential just one of his songs were; to say that it would take a few articles to explain his influence as a whole would be an understatement. But this puts into perspective how big of a star he already was with only two studio albums. So I ask you to imagine what it might have been like if he had been blessed with more time to create. The world would be so different. I would give up every rapper today in a heartbeat to get Biggie Smalls back. To hear I Got A Story To Tell, Kick In The Door, What's Beef, and Party & Bullshit live would blow my mind. Just to hear one song live is the pinnacle of dreams I have as a major hip-hop head. Nothing could compare to that moment for me.
Big Poppa will forever live on though. He is undoubtedly a legend. The drum breaks he rapped on are legendary. Most are used for cyphers these days, especially one of his coldest songs Just Playing (Dreams). That's a beat (sampled from James Brown Blues and Pants) I'm positive everyone has heard. Which just goes to show you everything he touches finds its own spot in history. Everyone on the same track he makes better. Craig Mack's Flava In Ya Ear was at its dopest when the King Big was on the remix. The OG is dope, but no one resorts to the original. The remix is the go-to and is hailed the best for that Biggie verse. And of course Puffy's 'The Warriors' moment with "Bad Boys come out and play" as he clinks those bottles. But that's besides the point. Biggie is iconic. His lines are iconic. Biggie Smalls is hip-hop. And if hip-hop saves lives, like it did for me, then chalk Big up to the Jesus of the rap game. Anything lower would be an insult.
Listen to some of my favorite Biggie songs below.
Photo Creds: youtube.com/mtv.com/pinterest.com
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