What was the reaction to Life after Death when it dropped?

[persiafly]

I was like 12 when it came out so I wasn't really into the rap game like that yet. Would love to hear some who were describe what the general reception of the record was when it dropped.

 

[yeeupp]

"If Biggie drops another album like life after death, is he G.O.A.T ?"

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

classic album, not touching ready to die though

 

[dmbrhs]

The long-term reaction is that we all have to talk ourselves into believing it's a better album than it is, just based on circumstances.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

The long-term reaction is that we all have to talk ourselves into believing it's a better album than it is, just based on circumstances.

That might have been true at first, but I bump this and Reasonable Doubt more than any other album. And I've had it for 10 years. I feel like the sentimental stuff would wear off. 
All of these are classics to me:

-Notorious Thugz

-What's Beef

-Ten Crack Commandments

-+@%%$% Bleed

-You're Nobody

-My Downfall

-Long Kiss

-Story to Tell

-Somebody's Gotta Die

-Last Day

-Going Back to Cali

-Hypnotize

-World is Filled

And these to me are not even arguable. There are like 5 more that are arguable. 

When has anyone had that % of classics/smash hits? Hypnotize bangs to this day. Notorious Thugz is loved by white boys everywhere. That Downfall-You're Nobody-Long Kiss trio to close the album is just 

.

 

[teamjordan79]

More money, more problems got heavy play on the radio 

 

[rmk]

Diddy's @%%$%@ *@$ tryed to overshadow it wit No Way Out...

my 2 cents...I was younger then 12 I still remember it tho

 

[ninjahood]

Originally Posted by rmK

Diddy's @%%$%@ *@$ tryed to overshadow it wit No Way Out...

my 2 cents...I was younger then 12 I still remember it tho

he type did though, no way out went diamond.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

They played the album straight through on Hot 97 when it dropped. I still have the cassette I recorded it on.

 

[seymore cake]

I was only 14 but I remember mixed feelings as people felt that he went a different/more cross over direction due to Hypnotize then they played the album and the opening track left mogs with the

face

Overall I just remember feeling disgusted that this was my man's last lp even though he went out with a bang

*You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You*

 

[blacklion23]

Great album!!! Kind of sad too considering the circumstances. I bumped disc 2 for the longest. I was 13 when the album dropped so there were some songs I didn't catch. I listened to the album a few years ago and wow, Biggie was the truth. I didn't realize how many shots he was throwing at dudes, in particularly 2pac. Some of the lines made me feel BIG and Puff knew more than they claimed.

Life After Death Disc 2>Ready To Die>LAD Disc 1

 

[d0nny donowitz]

those last five tracks on disc 2, though 

remember reading that the OG version of "Long Kiss Goodnight" was way more disrespectful than the retail. Would love to hear it but that'll never happen

 

[finallyfamous]

Notorious Thugz

Biggies verse is so @#!!%!@ sick

 

[north dade represent]

When I first heard it, I was like "this ain't messing with Ready To Die". I still feel that way, but it had a lot of heat on it. Still a classic.

 

[boomboomskeetskeet]

I was in the 3nd grade and a Wu Head. Long Kiss Goodnight was naturally my favorite song on it due to RZA production. Mo Money Mo Problems was everywhere. Even if you didn't have a roley you were throwing something in the sky and waving it side to side. I like it but not as much as Wu-Tang Forver which dropped 3 months later. Fast forward to 10th grade in late '04 I heard the "996 grams" line from Last Day in art class and literally walked out of the room for 15 minutes. All these years later and I still like Wu's joint more but I think BIG had a better joint. Now I just wish I could get a copy without Puff on it kinda like a tagless DJ Drama Mixtape. Oh and before I forget BIG SLAYED SHAWN ON "I love the dough"

 

[cafinest23]

Still play this album today. Miss U is still me favorite song on the album.

 

[Shanegerous]

Putting this on now.

 

[Peep Game]

Originally Posted by FinallyFamous

Notorious Thugz

Biggies verse is so @#!!%!@ sick

This. I do remember some mixed feeling about it, and even though it's a really good album, his death made it bigger than it actually was
like somebody said. And Diddy really did overshadow it with No Way Out. I was also 10y/o, but I vividly remember No Way Out more

just cause I remembered playing that so much more. 

 

[maldonado]

all I remember is cutting class to hit the homeboys whip and ride out to, for the very first time....


"It's the ten crack commandments...ONE"





that beat.
that premo beat.

been ringing in my head ever since.

 

[dipsetgeneral]

Biggie WAS rap, back then.

I was five years young when it dropped.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

The album title was too eerie for me.. because the album dropped after Biggie death..

 

[send one]

Big was already catching flack from the JM album and the way he handled the Pac "beef" from other NYC rappers (Jeru, Royal Flush). When Hypnotize dropped, it was a dope song, but left a bitter taste for a lot of fans because of the direction he took. A lot of opinions did change when he passed though.

I was 21 when this dropped.

 

[jtplatnum]

i'm 32 so was 17 when it came out. i'm from california so a lot of us were like 'this is it? this is a 5 mic album? this SUCKS!'
this album was the catalyst in 'the source' losing all credibility on the west coast.

looking back on it now, though, if the focus had been on making a classic single album versus a double good album, that could have easily been accomplished. there are 12 solid tracks but the rest...not so much.

 

[jesus got game 34]

Originally Posted by JTPlatnum

i'm 32 so was 17 when it came out. i'm from california so a lot of us were like 'this is it? this is a 5 mic album? this SUCKS!'
this album was the catalyst in 'the source' losing all credibility on the west coast.

looking back on it now, though, if the focus had been on making a classic single album versus a double good album, that could have easily been accomplished. there are 12 solid tracks but the rest...not so much.

QUE? can't co-sign that sir.

life after death is THE blueprint for pretty much every rap album that followed in my eyes

 

[theafricandream]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

The long-term reaction is that we all have to talk ourselves into believing it's a better album than it is, just based on circumstances.

That might have been true at first, but I bump this and Reasonable Doubt more than any other album. And I've had it for 10 years. I feel like the sentimental stuff would wear off. 
All of these are classics to me:

-Notorious Thugz

-What's Beef

-Ten Crack Commandments

-+@%%$% Bleed

-You're Nobody

-My Downfall

-Long Kiss

-Story to Tell

-Somebody's Gotta Die

-Last Day

-Going Back to Cali

-Hypnotize

-World is Filled

And these to me are not even arguable. There are like 5 more that are arguable. 

When has anyone had that % of classics/smash hits? Hypnotize bangs to this day. Notorious Thugz is loved by white boys everywhere. That Downfall-You're Nobody-Long Kiss trio to close the album is just 

.

Talk about finishing an album strong

. That sequence of songs is just amazing.