The Notorious B.I.G. Archives

Mister Cee Explains Why Biggie’s “Ready To Die” Sounds Like 2 Different Albums

This morning (March 9), Brooklyn, New York DJ/producer/radio personality Mister Cee appeared on Sway In The Morning. On the 19th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s tragic (and unsolved) murder, Cee recalled his hand in turning a street-corner MC into arguably Rap's greatest ever. Beginning the interview, Mister Cee recalls friend... Read more

March 9, 2016 Throwback

Here Is Your “Finding The GOAT Album” Sweet 16. The Bracket Just Got Real.

Yesterday (March 8) closed Round 3 of “Finding The GOAT Album.” You—the voter—definitively took 32 albums and divided them into a "Sweet 16." The last bracket took the Top 10 albums from the 1980s, the 1990s, and 2000s, respectively and included two user-generated Wild Card winners. In examining the Sweet... Read more

March 9, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Nas Details That Time He & Biggie Were Supposed to Collaborate (Video)

"Gimme the Loot" is a Hip-Hop staple, a classic piece of the Notorious B.I.G.'s repertoire from what is arguably one of the most influential debut albums in history. But what some may not know is that 1994's Ready to Die almost inspired a remix to the song featuring Nas, another young MC who also... Read more

February 29, 2016 Video

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of…Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

February 18, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Here Are The Top 10 Rap Albums of the 90s That You Determined. Get Ready For The 2000s…

Today (December 13) closes Round 2 of the 1990s bracket of Finding The GOAT Albums. With two battles coming down to a photo finish, this was the most dramatic march to the end thus far. You—the voter—definitively decided which 10 albums go forth to the final 32 albums across all... Read more

December 13, 2015 Finding the GOAT

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

December 3, 2015 Finding the GOAT

Sheek Louch Discusses Silverback Gorilla 2 & Talks Working With Biggie and DMX (Interview)

Whereas speaking to Jadakiss or Styles P is often a lower key experience, their LOX band-mate Sheek Louch is high-energy. The Yonkers, New York veteran MC did not equate himself to one of the most ferocious members of the animal kingdom by being docile. In the Tommy Boy Entertainment conference... Read more

December 1, 2015 Food for Thought

These 1990s Hip-Hop Albums Reach Round 2, With Two Battles Left To Be Decided

Beginning in September, Ambrosia For Heads returned to “Finding The GOAT,” our annual voting series that polls readers and fans to determine the Greatest Of All-Time. Following 2014-2015’s quest to use votes to determine the GOAT MC, we are asking readers to determine the greatest of all-time Hip-Hop album. “Finding... Read more

November 22, 2015 Finding the GOAT

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death vs. Ghostface Killah’s Ironman. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

November 20, 2015 Finding the GOAT

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star vs. De La Soul’s Stakes Is High. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

November 6, 2015 Finding the GOAT

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die vs. MF DOOM’s Operation Doomsday. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

October 30, 2015 Finding the GOAT

De La Soul’s Maseo Controls The Soul With An Amazing Free-Form Live DJ Set (Mix)

Listening to De La Soul is so much sweeter when you catch all the references—whether it's a sample, a vocal reworking, or a reference. Even when you don't know the specifics, it's usually worth seeking out the sources behind the music that's made by the legendary Long Island, New York... Read more

September 21, 2015 Mixes

Russell Poole, Lead Investigator Of The Notorious B.I.G. Murder, Has Died

The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 murder remains unsolved. One of the Los Angeles Police Department sergeant detectives who worked the hardest to change that, Russell Poole, has died. According to The Los Angeles Times, the former detective died Wednesday (August 19), while meeting with detectives at the L.A. Sheriff's Department. Although... Read more

August 20, 2015 News

Warren G Recalls Trying To Mediate Tupac & Biggie, An Untold Feud Behind Regulate (Audio)

In honor of his just-released Regulate…G Funk Era Pt. 2 EP, Warren G took the guest seat on the Combat Jack Show. The Long Beach, California MC/producer/DJ tells the show several times, that he is planning a book. This interview, (later featuring actor R. Marcus Taylor ("Suge Knight" in Straight... Read more

August 14, 2015 Audio

Legacy: Why Going Back Is Best For Puff Daddy & Bad Boy’s Future

Following last month's Bad Boy Records 20th anniversary set at the 2015 BET Awards, Puff Daddy announced that he is planning a tour with some of the artists he shared the stage with. Only mentioning Lil' Kim by name (who, many know, was never an official Bad Boy Records artist), the... Read more

July 7, 2015 Food for Thought

The Legends Of Bad Boy Records Come Out To Play At BET Awards (Video)

A big part of what's made Bad Boy Records such a great label over the last 20-plus years is the label's ability to deliver cathartic performances. Whether it was peer-criticism, tragedy, or legal woes, Puff Daddy and the Bad Boy family used the stage to remind the world that they... Read more

June 29, 2015 Video

19 Years Ago Today Jay-Z & Biggie Smalls Showed Why They Were Brooklyn’s Finest (Audio)

Although it was never a Reasonable Doubt single, "Brooklyn's Finest" helped make Jay Z's debut album a milestone album. Released 19 years ago today (June 25, 1996) the moment would serve as the first collaboration between Jay and his fellow George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School attendee, The... Read more

June 25, 2015 Throwback

This ’90s Hip-Hop Mix Reminds Fans Why They Were Ready to Die for H.E.R. (Mixtape)

In the mid-1990s, Hip-Hop underwent a bit of a transition. Some of the most skilled MCs on the scene (Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Grand Puba, Andre 3000, Scarface, etc.) started trading rowdy, raucous production for the laid-back cuts. Producers like Easy Mo Bee, DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Da Beatminerz,... Read more

June 24, 2015 Throwback

Former LAPD Detective Proposes A New Theory Surrounding Tupac’s Murder

In 2003, author Randall Sullivan published a book called LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implications of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal. Much of the book centered around Russell Poole, a former LAPD detective... Read more

June 20, 2015 News

There’s A Lot Of Unreleased Biggie Music Left, Says Easy Mo Bee (Video)

Following the 1999 release of Born Again, many fans of The Notorious B.I.G. have been led to believe that the reserves of music were largely tapped. Unlike Tupac Shakur or James Yancey (J Dilla), Christopher Wallace did not record tirelessly, especially towards the end of his life. Additionally, it can... Read more

June 19, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT: Who Is the Greatest MC Of All-Time & Why Do We Care? (Video)

Chances are, if you are a Hip-Hop fan, at some point in your life, you've been embroiled in a conversation about who is Hip-Hop's Greatest Of All-Time (GOAT) MC. Whether it was in a lunch room, on a school bus, in a barber shop or in a board room, there... Read more

May 7, 2015 Video

Time is Almost Up for Biggie or Tupac. Who Will Go Forward In Finding The GOAT?

Tuesday (May 5) kicked off Round 6 for "Finding The GOAT" with a monstrous showdown. Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.G. is a battle of epic proportions, as these Rap martyrs were constantly compared in life as they are in death. In less than 48 hours, this Round 6 match-up garnered... Read more

May 7, 2015 Fresh

Finding The GOAT (Round 6): Tupac vs. The Notorious B.I.G.…Who You Got?

With now only 6 MCs remaining, we have entered Round 6 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only two match-up’s—both running this week—remain until the final 4 are revealed. Since the elimination, bracket-style tournament was launched in September of 2014, including more... Read more

May 5, 2015 Throwback

Finding the GOAT: The Final 6 MCs Have Been Decided By YOU. Who Will Be The 1?

Round 5's polls have closed today (May 4). Although there was a late push, the definitive margins (and projected winners) held, by and large. With that, Ambrosia For Heads' "Finding The GOAT" series has its final 6 MCs. The Round 5 bye (Big Daddy Kane) returns to competitive combat for... Read more

May 4, 2015 Fresh

These MCs Are Nearing Elimination in the Finding The GOAT Competition. Round 5 Ends Tomorrow.

Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 6 contestants. At 4:59pm EST on Monday May 4, Round 5 polls will close, and Round 6 will kick... Read more

May 3, 2015 Fresh

Finding The GOAT (Round 5): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Redman…Who You Got?

With just 11 MCs remaining we have reached the critical Round 5 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only five match-up’s—all running this week—separate Round 5 from the final six MCs, including Round 4 bye winner Big Daddy Kane. Since the elimination,... Read more

April 30, 2015 Throwback

Finding the GOAT: Here Are Your Top 10 MCs + 1

The polls have closed and, after a fiercely competitive and unpredictable Round 4, 10 MCs advance to Round 5 (along with Rakim who had a bye), making a grand total of 11 rappers remaining in the quest to name Hip-Hop’s greatest MC, as determined by you. Since Round 1 began... Read more

April 26, 2015 Fresh

Finding the GOAT: None of These MCs Have Made the Top 10…Yet

Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 10+1 bye (Rakim, bringing the tally to 11) contestants. The MC who wins by the biggest margin in this... Read more

April 25, 2015 Fresh

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Andre 3000…Who You Got?

We have reached the final match up in Round 4 of the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim received a bye for the round), things came down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH’s bracket-style series towards... Read more

April 24, 2015 Throwback

Tink Reworks A Biggie Favorite With A Timbaland Beat & Big Budget Visual (Video)

Tink has been an eye and ear-grabbing sensation in R&B/Pop for nearly a year. Timbaland's singing pupils rival, if not eclipse some of his Rap proteges over the last 20 years. Tink is a bit of both, delivering an amalgam of genres, attitudes, and styles in one dynamic musical package.... Read more

March 25, 2015 The Bridge, Video

2Pac’s Pivotal Classic Me Against The World Turns 20 Years Old (Food For Thought)

20 years ago today (March 14, 1995), Tupac Shakur's Me Against The World was released, and with it came the rapper's most introspective work of his career. Released during a time of exceptional turmoil for 2Pac, the album signaled a musical changing of the guards, post-Thug Life and pre-Death Row,... Read more

March 14, 2015 Food for Thought

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. Big Pun…Who You Got

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 13, 2015 Throwback

Young Biggie Smalls Bagged Groceries, Now The Same Store Is Painting A Mural In His Honor

The lyrics to "Juicy" color the story of The Notorious B.I.G.'s youth. Before he was Biggie Smalls, Christopher Wallace was earning his money to buy mixtapes and Rap magazines by bagging groceries in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The same supermarket where Biggie worked as a teenager in the late 1980s remains,... Read more

March 12, 2015 News

Sky’s The Limit When Kendrick Lamar Crushes A Freestyle Over Notorious B.I.G. Beats (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar verses can perform miracles. It's easy to imagine The Notorious B.I.G. smiling big, 18 years to the day after he physically left the world, as Kendrick Lamar touches some of the same kicks and snares he helped make famous. Appearing on opening day of Big Boy's Neighborhood on... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Puff Daddy & Snoop Dogg Symbolically Use 1995 Source Awards Footage To Put BEEF To Bed (Video)

In an evening that saw a surprise Drake mixtape, and two star-studded Kanye West events in Manhattan, Puff Daddy and Snoop Dogg may have scored the most historical moment, as far as Hip-Hop is concerned. At Madison Square Garden, the two veteran MCs, producers, and record executives co-headlined a New... Read more

February 13, 2015 News

DJ Quik Admits Losing Passion In Music-Making Since Tupac & Notorious B.I.G. Deaths (Audio)

DJ Quik is the latest guest for NPR Hip-Hop's Microphone Check interview series. In a week that's brought tragedy and suspicion to former members of Quik's circle, the iconic producer/DJ/MC opens up, with NPR's Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Frannie Kelley. The interview is as in-depth as... Read more

January 30, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): The Notorious B.I.G. vs. GZA…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

January 26, 2015 Throwback

The End Of An Era For Hardcore Hip-Hop…DJ Premier’s Studio Closes Its Doors Today

Nas' Illmatic recorded there. The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die recorded there. Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt recorded there. And nearly every song by Gang Starr, in addition to every track produced by DJ Premier since 1992 was recorded there. Today, on January 7, 2015, Premo announced that D&D Studios a/k/a HeadQCourterz... Read more

January 7, 2015 Fresh

Start the New Year with Some Old School Videos (Playlist)

Should old acquaintance be forgot...never that. Today, we ring in the new year with some Old School. Here's a video playlist featuring Nas, Common, OutKast, The Roots, Black Moon, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, The Beatnuts, a rare performance by The Notorious B.I.G. & Method Man and more. Check it... Read more

January 3, 2015 Playlists, Throwback

Lil’ Kim Clarifies Biggie Smalls Writing Her Verses, Wants Credit From Beyonce (Video)

With her new mixtape, Hard Core 2K14 starting some talk and grabbing lots of listens, Lil' Kim has plenty to speak about. The highly-acclaimed female MC soloist, the Notorious K.I.M took her saved seat at The Breakfast Club. There, Kim took the hard questions, and handled them all. In the... Read more

September 29, 2014 Fresh, Video

No Matter How Much You Know About Biggie, You Will Learn Something From This Discussion (Video)

As a part of last week's 20th anniversary coverage of The Notorious B.I.G's Ready To Die album, NPR "Microphone Check" assembled a panel in Brooklyn. Hosts Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Frannie Kelley were joined by dream hampton (author, The Source), Matty C. (The Source, A&R), Biggie... Read more

September 23, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

DJ Clark Kent Says There Are No Lies On Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt (Video)

After a titillating first chapter, Hip-Hop Wired returns with a second segment of "Off The Record" with DJ Clark Kent. HHW's Aqua Boogie asks Clark about a more obscure cut, in Mad Skillz' (n/k/a Skillz) 1995 single, "Move Ya Body." Interestingly enough, while LL Cool J had hoped to swack... Read more

September 22, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Remember The Knicks’ John Starks? He’s Got A Story To Tell About Biggie Smalls (Video)

From 1990 to 1998, John Starks was a rugged Shooting Guard for the New York Knicks. The same year Starks earned an All-Star nod amidst a New York Knicks push to the top of the Eastern Conference, The Notorious B.I.G released his debut, Ready To Die. By the time Biggie... Read more

September 17, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

The Notorious B.I.G’s Ready To Die 20 Years Later, The Best Of All Worlds (Food For Thought)

Twenty years ago today (September 13, 1994), The Notorious B.I.G and Bad Boy Records released Ready To Die, one (and many argue the best) of the two handfuls of incredible debut albums introduced in 1994. A long hot summer after Nas' Illmatic, with Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)... Read more

September 13, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh, Throwback

DJ Clark Kent Remembers Junior M.A.F.I.A’s Player’s Anthem With A Funny LL Cool J Story (Video)

DJ Clark Kent is one of Hip-Hop's most consistent veterans. A DJ, a record executive, a producer, and a sneaker-head, Clark's hands (and more importantly, his ears) have shaped the careers of many, ranging from Jay Z and Rakim, to Saafir and Canibus. Sitting down with Hip-Hop Wire's Alvin Blanco,... Read more

September 10, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

DJ 7L & Frank The Butcher Salute The Artists Sampled On Bad Boy Records Hits (Mixtape)

From Craig Mack to Total, The Notorious B.I.G. to Black Rob, Ma$e to 112, part of what's made Bad Boy Records so catchy in the mainstream has been the label's fearlessness when it's come to sampling. While skeptics may've criticized some of the more obvious recreations at the pinnacle of... Read more

July 4, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Fabolous Wants You To Keep The S.O.U.L. Tape 3 In Your Playa (Video)

For 15 years, Fabolous has prided himself on a cinematic style. The Brooklyn mainstay and one of Def Jam's flagship artists is still hard at work promoting late 2013's The S.O.U.L. Tape 3. One of the mixtape's standouts was The Notorious B.I.G.-inspired "Playa." For the just-released visual, 'Loso rocks in... Read more

June 17, 2014 Fresh, Video

Check Rare Footage Of The Notorious B.I.G. Cosigning Lil’ Kim’s Solo Career & Raekwon Stories Wu-Tang Clan’s Logo (Video)

Gearing up for the next segment in BET's "The Message," clips are meshed together in the preview featuring everybody from the late Notorious B.I.G., to Birdman, to 2 Chainz, to Kendrick Lamar, to Jermaine Dupri. Included are Biggie recalling (to Joe Clair) a candid convo with Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Lil' Kim... Read more

June 12, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

The LOX Reminisce on Working with The Notorious B.I.G. (Video)

Today, The LOX are giants in Hip-Hop. However, back in 1996, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P were still on the come-up. Two years removed from an uncredited (pre-Styles) feature on Main Source's sophomore LP, F**k What You Think, the Yonkers, New Yorkers were the new acts on Puff Daddy's... Read more

May 22, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Earliest Mentor, DJ Mister Cee Laid Down A Biggie Birthday Mix (Audio)

Before Puff Daddy, before Heavy D, before even Easy Mo Bee, it was DJ Mister Cee who took musical interest in a young Christopher Wallace. Mister Cee was a Brooklyn big-shot back in 1992, known as a fixture for DJ'ing and producing for Big Daddy Kane and others, as part... Read more

May 21, 2014 Audio, Fresh