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When it comes to Christopher Wallace a lot of questions arise. Would he still be on top if he was here? Would Jay-Z be Jay-Z? Was Tupac the betterartist? Was he really the best emcee?
Who knows the answers to these questions but after some conversations with some hip-hop enthusiasts and fans of B.I, here are 10 reasons why Big was thegreatest of all time in no particular order.
#10.THE JUICY FACTOR
Big's first commercial single "Juicy" had a vocal intro where he shouted out the people who called the police on him when he was trying to makemoney to feed his daughter. He introduced the world to a hustler with a heart and a motivation anyone could understand. His story was that he was on his wayout of town to continue selling drugs and Puff (his name at the time) heard his music and begged him to come back and record an album. Rap was his way out thehood. We identified with his rise from ashy to classy. Everyone saw Big in the hoodies and fatigue jackets and watched him step up to the shiny shirts anddiamonds. "Birthdays was the worst days, now we sip champagne when we thirstaay." Who can't appreciate that?
#9.WORDPLAY
Biggie's rhyme pattern was always innovative but very simple. He didn't use many big words but he managed to maintain the wit and cleverness in hisbars. He would say so much with so little and with that method he satisfied the partygoers that wanted to be able to spit his lyrics while inebriated and thehip-hop head that wanted to break down bars listening in his crib. You may not get what I'm saying but picture "your heartbeat sounds like Sasquatchfeet…" or "I perform like Mike/anyone Tyson, Jordan, Jackson…" or "they used to call me fatso now theycall me Castro." The words in these lines stand alone without rhythm or trying to accent a punch line. It just sounds like things someone would say in aconversation and it made Biggie great. He didn't force feed you these raps. "Rolex and bracelets, frostbit, rings too/%%##!! round the way call meigloo, stick who?" And one of my favorite examples of wordplay: "Don't #+#% with B.I that's that 'Oh I, thought he was wack' oh comecome now/why yall so dumb now? Hunt me or be hunted I got three hundred and fifty-seven ways to simmer sauté/I'm the winner all-day, lights get dimmer downBiggie's hallway…"
#8. THE TRENDSETTER
"Ain't $%%! change/'cept the number after the dot on the range." Not many people knew what Big was talking about until Jay went into depthabout the difference between range rovers and maybe we didn't care but it sure did set a standard for those who wanted to floss whips out there. "MyMoschino ho, my Versace hottie…" We have to admit that although these clothing lines existed before the shout out, Moschino and Versace became the hottestgear for awhile. The prices soared and the fakes popped up and the black community was rocking em like crazy. The funny thing is that Biggie didn't evenwear the clothes he bigged up. He said they couldn't fit him. He wasn't the first to pop Cristal in the video but he made the name bigger than ever. Hehipped the general population to what the good life was all about. "I know you sick of this name brand $$%$@ wit/flows girls say he's sweet likelicorice…"
He may not have been the first one to have an alias but he made it hot. You knew who Frank White was when he spit it out and if you didn't catch thecorrelation between the character in the movie "King Of New York" then you wanted to know what the hell he meant. Wu-Tang may argue that they startedthe names from another universe first but Big did make it very popular by choosing a name that subliminally suggested what he wanted you to think and whatbecame unavoidable. One thing that Big did make famous was the "no pen" syndrome. Nowadays nobody writes rhymes down if you ask them, they just thinkem. From Jay to Ja to Kanye all say that they don't actually pen their lyrics but Big was the first to say it and make how you construct your rhymes a bigdeal in the industry.
#7.HEARTTHROB NEVER
This may seem like a weird case to point out but Christopher Wallace was not only aware of his physical shortcomings but he made light of them. Now let me saythat I don't judge men so him being ugly is not a fact I would back up but Big did what some would call taking the bullets out of the gun when it comes tothings you could say about him. "Black and ugly as ever…" Lines like that tend to make the ladies look at him as if he's more than just theexterior and he knows it. Of course you heard the stories about how funny and charismatic he was, or how the ladies loved him no matter what he looked like. Itall added to the mystery of Biggie Smalls. Aside from the ladies, men have so much hate in their blood that if Big was a pretty boy it would be harder to lovehim. Guys rocked Biggie shirts all day because in the back of their minds he was no threat to their girlfriend. He couldn't be a literal heartthrob and beadmired by so many dudes. It just wouldn't work. The King has to have some flaws so we feel better about ourselves right? Not to mention he jabbed himselfany chance he got. "If Fay have twins she probably have Two Pacs…" "When I die #+#% it I wanna go to hell/cuz I'm a piece of $%%! itain't hard to #@++$% tell." "Its unreal, out the blue Frank White got sex appeal/!%%*%*! used to go 'ill!'…"
#6.COLLABOS
The King is not always loved but feared and respected. The Notorious B.I.G may have been respected more than loved by some people but Christopher Wallace washumble, soft-spoken and kind and he made everyone want to work with him. He gave himself to the crew Junior Mafia and got his boys from the hood on the stageand even got them a plaque on their walls. He introduced Lil Kim and Lil Cease to the world when they didn't even know rap would be their ticket. He puthis CEO on the mic and lent his vocals to every artist on the label from Mase and The Lox to Total and 112 and even did classics with his rival Jay-Z to helpsolidify Jay's place as a great emcee. On his way to the top Big didn't hesitate to do a joint with everyone from Shaquille O'neal to MichaelJackson. He respected the grind and he was willing to give back. He heard Cam'ron spit live and made sure Un made him his first artist. Biggie extendedhimself over and over jumping on his manager Mark Pitts' artist Tracey Lee's "Keep ya hands High" to spill some of the hottest bars ever on afeature record. On every joint his presence stood out and you remembered his rhymes. Big's willingness to do features made him likeable by all regions andit also allowed him to steal fans because he demolished any track he was a guest on.
#5.THE DIDDY FACTOR
Sean Combs is responsible for molding the careers of quite a few successful rap and R&B artists. When Mase said "I was Murder, P. Diddy made mepretty/did it for the money, now can you get wit me?" the same held true for The Notorious one. His image was hardcore, his lyrics were abrasive but whenteamed with Puff, Biggie was able to make records like "One More Chance," "Big Poppa" and "Hypnotize." If you questioned hisdedication to remaining thug you could always look to his CEO as the reason for going commercial. When they did their shows and split the room up into 2 sides,Big would command the "%%##!!" while Puff would shout out the ladies. It was a perfect balance that would make for a great look throughout hiscareer. It was Diddy that reversed the word 'pregnant' in "Gimme the Loot." Blame Puff for muting 'Son of Satan' in"Victory" and he also changed the ending of "Somebody's Got to Die" to something much more friendly. The public accepted Big in thefanciest of clothes or using samples from the 80's because they knew it was Diddy's formula. We knew if it was solely up to Big, his album would'vesounded like 12 joints just mirroring "Warning" and "Machine gun Funk." And even when Mr. Wallace was a tad bit reserved and let his lyricsdo the walking, the roles reversed and Diddy was the one screaming ad libs and providing the missing link on songs like "My Downfall" and "LongKiss Goodnight." Puff was yelling and cursing at the haters while Big killed em with the verses. Odd couple, perfect match…Takethat.
#4.THE FLOW
Maybe it's the baritone vocals, the tough delivery or the audible flow that keeps him still banging in our decks today. Big was able to alternate flowswithin verses but keep it playful and simple enough for the audience to follow. For instance, if you've ever been to a Jay concert where he pays tribute toB.I.G he plays his verse from "Mo Money, Mo Problems" and cuts it for the crowd to chime in with the words after "B.I.G P.O.P.P.A/no info forthe DEA…." Everyone seems to get lost a lil within the rhyme but the bounce is maintained, all of a sudden the whole crowd gets it back at "throwyour rollies in the sky…" His rhyme pattern switches up showing the signs of a true lyricist but his approach is still bright and distinct. Even whenborrowing the Bone Thug's flow on "Notorious Thugs" he is colorful and easy to sing along with. You may not agree but consider that Shyne got atremendous buzz and deal just for resembling Big's vocals early in his career. When you listen to every song on his 2 albums you notice that every trackgets a different flow and on every beat he uses a new approach. The man sang, he harmonized on hooks he rhymed words within the bars: "Who shotya/separate the weak from the obso/lete it's hard to creep them Brooklyn streets…" He was ahead of his time and it isevident because his work is timeless.
#3. STORYTELLING
Not many emcees can paint a precise picture when they're in the booth. Slick Rick had a knack for it, LL made you visualize what he was saying and Nas isstill today a vivid, yet intricate storyteller. But Chris Wallace took twisted plots and ill scenarios that made you question whether or not it was reality orfiction. His attention to detail made the listener forget this was a song and it was like you were just hearing a story. He didn't hesitate to throwhimself in the mix and tell it in first person which always made it that much crazier. In the aforementioned "Somebody's Got to Die" he vowsvengeance for a lost homie and takes you through every thought and deed up until retaliation. He even brings up his own conscience and reluctance to hit anyoneelse other than his primary target. That sets up the ending which makes you feel for him as the victim and as a criminal. In "%%##!! Bleed" he tellsa tale about a transaction that turns into a robbery and in the process introduces characters like Arizona Rob and a Maxi Priest look-a-like that he has totake out to get away with the bread. He takes a violent story and ends it with a silly surprise to add color. While in "Story To tell" he makes afirst person account about sleeping with a New York Knickerbocker's wife and having to pretend to be a thief once he gets busted in the crib one of themost memorable joints of our time. It is one of the few stories other than "La Di Da Di" that can be recited in a club word for word. Big was aMichelangelo with the pen or without it in his case.
#2.RECORD SALES
Before Soundscan arguments in the hood and talks about first weeks of sales, people actually cared about rhymes and who was nicer. Kane or Rakim? KRS orRedman? Biggie or Pac? In the mid 90s we saw a shift of importance from who was better to who was selling. Hip-hop gave birth to the rap business and recordcompanies respected artists that were bringing in plaques. In turn, the fans began to respect the same thing. So when the west coast rappers were moving unitsand the east was content with being the pioneers of this, Big came along and showed the world that an east coast rapper from Brooklyn could get people to go to the store and spit some hot verses at the same time. It was tough to argue that he wasn'tthe best when he was outselling all the underground rappers he was being compared to. Of course sales aren't everything and in the long run there wereother artists who sold more but a platinum album from a solo New Yorkartist in 1994 was rare. Life After Death was adouble CD that went on to sell more than 5 million copies. It's hard to compare Tupac's album every year's sales to Big's 2 Lps but while hewas here the King ruled.
#1. THE VOICE
The baritone vocals, the tough delivery, the audible flow. Big was able to alternate flows within verses but keep it playful and simple enough for the audienceto follow. For instance, if you\'ve ever been to a Jay concert where he pays tribute to B.I.G he plays his verse from "Mo Money, MoProblems" and cuts it for the crowd to chime in with the words after B.I.G P.O.P.P.A/no info for the DEA...Everyone seems to get lost a lil within therhyme but the bounce is maintained, all of a sudden the whole crowd gets it back
Extra:
CONTENT
Of course there was and will always be rappers out there who have messages in their music. There will always be someone trying to say something to the people.However only a few will be heard, accepted or even be hot enough to make a change. The fine line between education and entertainment is tested by many artistsbut when it came to Big, it always seemed like entertainment was his motive. In his defense his content was at times very educational. "Ten CrackCommandments" may not seem like your typical schoolbook lesson but in the streets it's a serious code to live by. "Suicidal Thoughts" mayseem like some demented song but it represented the album's theme which was "ready to die." Big's mentality before his deal was that he wasliving like a dead man and he knew it. His music was the realization that his life was going down the drain and Life After Death was supposed to bethe rebirth. "Sky's the Limit" talked about never giving up, "You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You" is an ironic song that talksabout how one can become a memory in a blink of an eye. What is most disturbing is that his content would have progressed much further had he been alive. Hissocial commentary would have been out of this world by now. The fact that he is still relevant today says a whole lot.
Who knows the answers to these questions but after some conversations with some hip-hop enthusiasts and fans of B.I, here are 10 reasons why Big was thegreatest of all time in no particular order.
#10.THE JUICY FACTOR
Big's first commercial single "Juicy" had a vocal intro where he shouted out the people who called the police on him when he was trying to makemoney to feed his daughter. He introduced the world to a hustler with a heart and a motivation anyone could understand. His story was that he was on his wayout of town to continue selling drugs and Puff (his name at the time) heard his music and begged him to come back and record an album. Rap was his way out thehood. We identified with his rise from ashy to classy. Everyone saw Big in the hoodies and fatigue jackets and watched him step up to the shiny shirts anddiamonds. "Birthdays was the worst days, now we sip champagne when we thirstaay." Who can't appreciate that?
#9.WORDPLAY
Biggie's rhyme pattern was always innovative but very simple. He didn't use many big words but he managed to maintain the wit and cleverness in hisbars. He would say so much with so little and with that method he satisfied the partygoers that wanted to be able to spit his lyrics while inebriated and thehip-hop head that wanted to break down bars listening in his crib. You may not get what I'm saying but picture "your heartbeat sounds like Sasquatchfeet…" or "I perform like Mike/anyone Tyson, Jordan, Jackson…" or "they used to call me fatso now theycall me Castro." The words in these lines stand alone without rhythm or trying to accent a punch line. It just sounds like things someone would say in aconversation and it made Biggie great. He didn't force feed you these raps. "Rolex and bracelets, frostbit, rings too/%%##!! round the way call meigloo, stick who?" And one of my favorite examples of wordplay: "Don't #+#% with B.I that's that 'Oh I, thought he was wack' oh comecome now/why yall so dumb now? Hunt me or be hunted I got three hundred and fifty-seven ways to simmer sauté/I'm the winner all-day, lights get dimmer downBiggie's hallway…"
#8. THE TRENDSETTER
"Ain't $%%! change/'cept the number after the dot on the range." Not many people knew what Big was talking about until Jay went into depthabout the difference between range rovers and maybe we didn't care but it sure did set a standard for those who wanted to floss whips out there. "MyMoschino ho, my Versace hottie…" We have to admit that although these clothing lines existed before the shout out, Moschino and Versace became the hottestgear for awhile. The prices soared and the fakes popped up and the black community was rocking em like crazy. The funny thing is that Biggie didn't evenwear the clothes he bigged up. He said they couldn't fit him. He wasn't the first to pop Cristal in the video but he made the name bigger than ever. Hehipped the general population to what the good life was all about. "I know you sick of this name brand $$%$@ wit/flows girls say he's sweet likelicorice…"
He may not have been the first one to have an alias but he made it hot. You knew who Frank White was when he spit it out and if you didn't catch thecorrelation between the character in the movie "King Of New York" then you wanted to know what the hell he meant. Wu-Tang may argue that they startedthe names from another universe first but Big did make it very popular by choosing a name that subliminally suggested what he wanted you to think and whatbecame unavoidable. One thing that Big did make famous was the "no pen" syndrome. Nowadays nobody writes rhymes down if you ask them, they just thinkem. From Jay to Ja to Kanye all say that they don't actually pen their lyrics but Big was the first to say it and make how you construct your rhymes a bigdeal in the industry.
#7.HEARTTHROB NEVER
This may seem like a weird case to point out but Christopher Wallace was not only aware of his physical shortcomings but he made light of them. Now let me saythat I don't judge men so him being ugly is not a fact I would back up but Big did what some would call taking the bullets out of the gun when it comes tothings you could say about him. "Black and ugly as ever…" Lines like that tend to make the ladies look at him as if he's more than just theexterior and he knows it. Of course you heard the stories about how funny and charismatic he was, or how the ladies loved him no matter what he looked like. Itall added to the mystery of Biggie Smalls. Aside from the ladies, men have so much hate in their blood that if Big was a pretty boy it would be harder to lovehim. Guys rocked Biggie shirts all day because in the back of their minds he was no threat to their girlfriend. He couldn't be a literal heartthrob and beadmired by so many dudes. It just wouldn't work. The King has to have some flaws so we feel better about ourselves right? Not to mention he jabbed himselfany chance he got. "If Fay have twins she probably have Two Pacs…" "When I die #+#% it I wanna go to hell/cuz I'm a piece of $%%! itain't hard to #@++$% tell." "Its unreal, out the blue Frank White got sex appeal/!%%*%*! used to go 'ill!'…"
#6.COLLABOS
The King is not always loved but feared and respected. The Notorious B.I.G may have been respected more than loved by some people but Christopher Wallace washumble, soft-spoken and kind and he made everyone want to work with him. He gave himself to the crew Junior Mafia and got his boys from the hood on the stageand even got them a plaque on their walls. He introduced Lil Kim and Lil Cease to the world when they didn't even know rap would be their ticket. He puthis CEO on the mic and lent his vocals to every artist on the label from Mase and The Lox to Total and 112 and even did classics with his rival Jay-Z to helpsolidify Jay's place as a great emcee. On his way to the top Big didn't hesitate to do a joint with everyone from Shaquille O'neal to MichaelJackson. He respected the grind and he was willing to give back. He heard Cam'ron spit live and made sure Un made him his first artist. Biggie extendedhimself over and over jumping on his manager Mark Pitts' artist Tracey Lee's "Keep ya hands High" to spill some of the hottest bars ever on afeature record. On every joint his presence stood out and you remembered his rhymes. Big's willingness to do features made him likeable by all regions andit also allowed him to steal fans because he demolished any track he was a guest on.
#5.THE DIDDY FACTOR
Sean Combs is responsible for molding the careers of quite a few successful rap and R&B artists. When Mase said "I was Murder, P. Diddy made mepretty/did it for the money, now can you get wit me?" the same held true for The Notorious one. His image was hardcore, his lyrics were abrasive but whenteamed with Puff, Biggie was able to make records like "One More Chance," "Big Poppa" and "Hypnotize." If you questioned hisdedication to remaining thug you could always look to his CEO as the reason for going commercial. When they did their shows and split the room up into 2 sides,Big would command the "%%##!!" while Puff would shout out the ladies. It was a perfect balance that would make for a great look throughout hiscareer. It was Diddy that reversed the word 'pregnant' in "Gimme the Loot." Blame Puff for muting 'Son of Satan' in"Victory" and he also changed the ending of "Somebody's Got to Die" to something much more friendly. The public accepted Big in thefanciest of clothes or using samples from the 80's because they knew it was Diddy's formula. We knew if it was solely up to Big, his album would'vesounded like 12 joints just mirroring "Warning" and "Machine gun Funk." And even when Mr. Wallace was a tad bit reserved and let his lyricsdo the walking, the roles reversed and Diddy was the one screaming ad libs and providing the missing link on songs like "My Downfall" and "LongKiss Goodnight." Puff was yelling and cursing at the haters while Big killed em with the verses. Odd couple, perfect match…Takethat.
#4.THE FLOW
Maybe it's the baritone vocals, the tough delivery or the audible flow that keeps him still banging in our decks today. Big was able to alternate flowswithin verses but keep it playful and simple enough for the audience to follow. For instance, if you've ever been to a Jay concert where he pays tribute toB.I.G he plays his verse from "Mo Money, Mo Problems" and cuts it for the crowd to chime in with the words after "B.I.G P.O.P.P.A/no info forthe DEA…." Everyone seems to get lost a lil within the rhyme but the bounce is maintained, all of a sudden the whole crowd gets it back at "throwyour rollies in the sky…" His rhyme pattern switches up showing the signs of a true lyricist but his approach is still bright and distinct. Even whenborrowing the Bone Thug's flow on "Notorious Thugs" he is colorful and easy to sing along with. You may not agree but consider that Shyne got atremendous buzz and deal just for resembling Big's vocals early in his career. When you listen to every song on his 2 albums you notice that every trackgets a different flow and on every beat he uses a new approach. The man sang, he harmonized on hooks he rhymed words within the bars: "Who shotya/separate the weak from the obso/lete it's hard to creep them Brooklyn streets…" He was ahead of his time and it isevident because his work is timeless.
#3. STORYTELLING
Not many emcees can paint a precise picture when they're in the booth. Slick Rick had a knack for it, LL made you visualize what he was saying and Nas isstill today a vivid, yet intricate storyteller. But Chris Wallace took twisted plots and ill scenarios that made you question whether or not it was reality orfiction. His attention to detail made the listener forget this was a song and it was like you were just hearing a story. He didn't hesitate to throwhimself in the mix and tell it in first person which always made it that much crazier. In the aforementioned "Somebody's Got to Die" he vowsvengeance for a lost homie and takes you through every thought and deed up until retaliation. He even brings up his own conscience and reluctance to hit anyoneelse other than his primary target. That sets up the ending which makes you feel for him as the victim and as a criminal. In "%%##!! Bleed" he tellsa tale about a transaction that turns into a robbery and in the process introduces characters like Arizona Rob and a Maxi Priest look-a-like that he has totake out to get away with the bread. He takes a violent story and ends it with a silly surprise to add color. While in "Story To tell" he makes afirst person account about sleeping with a New York Knickerbocker's wife and having to pretend to be a thief once he gets busted in the crib one of themost memorable joints of our time. It is one of the few stories other than "La Di Da Di" that can be recited in a club word for word. Big was aMichelangelo with the pen or without it in his case.
#2.RECORD SALES
Before Soundscan arguments in the hood and talks about first weeks of sales, people actually cared about rhymes and who was nicer. Kane or Rakim? KRS orRedman? Biggie or Pac? In the mid 90s we saw a shift of importance from who was better to who was selling. Hip-hop gave birth to the rap business and recordcompanies respected artists that were bringing in plaques. In turn, the fans began to respect the same thing. So when the west coast rappers were moving unitsand the east was content with being the pioneers of this, Big came along and showed the world that an east coast rapper from Brooklyn could get people to go to the store and spit some hot verses at the same time. It was tough to argue that he wasn'tthe best when he was outselling all the underground rappers he was being compared to. Of course sales aren't everything and in the long run there wereother artists who sold more but a platinum album from a solo New Yorkartist in 1994 was rare. Life After Death was adouble CD that went on to sell more than 5 million copies. It's hard to compare Tupac's album every year's sales to Big's 2 Lps but while hewas here the King ruled.
#1. THE VOICE
The baritone vocals, the tough delivery, the audible flow. Big was able to alternate flows within verses but keep it playful and simple enough for the audienceto follow. For instance, if you\'ve ever been to a Jay concert where he pays tribute to B.I.G he plays his verse from "Mo Money, MoProblems" and cuts it for the crowd to chime in with the words after B.I.G P.O.P.P.A/no info for the DEA...Everyone seems to get lost a lil within therhyme but the bounce is maintained, all of a sudden the whole crowd gets it back
Extra:
CONTENT
Of course there was and will always be rappers out there who have messages in their music. There will always be someone trying to say something to the people.However only a few will be heard, accepted or even be hot enough to make a change. The fine line between education and entertainment is tested by many artistsbut when it came to Big, it always seemed like entertainment was his motive. In his defense his content was at times very educational. "Ten CrackCommandments" may not seem like your typical schoolbook lesson but in the streets it's a serious code to live by. "Suicidal Thoughts" mayseem like some demented song but it represented the album's theme which was "ready to die." Big's mentality before his deal was that he wasliving like a dead man and he knew it. His music was the realization that his life was going down the drain and Life After Death was supposed to bethe rebirth. "Sky's the Limit" talked about never giving up, "You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You" is an ironic song that talksabout how one can become a memory in a blink of an eye. What is most disturbing is that his content would have progressed much further had he been alive. Hissocial commentary would have been out of this world by now. The fact that he is still relevant today says a whole lot.
