Ready to Die
Ready to Die | |||||||
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Studio album by The Notorious BIG | |||||||
Publication |
September 13, 1994 |
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Label (s) | Bad Boy Records | ||||||
Format (s) |
CD |
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Title (number) |
17/19 |
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running time |
68:58 / 77:01 |
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Studio (s) |
Hit Factory Studio |
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Ready to Die (English for: Ready to die ) is the debut album of American hardcore rapper The Notorious BIG It was released on 13 September 1994 on the label Bad Boy Records . In the United States of America, the sound carrier was certified six times platinum for over six million copies sold.
History of origin
In 1992, Notorious BIG was signed to Uptown Records by Sean Combs , then known as "Puff Daddy". BIG began recording in 1993 and made a name for itself through guest appearances with other artists. The first songs for his album were very dark, the rap vocals of Notorious BIG were still very high. Until then, BIG had little experience in the recording process of an album. He initially used a notebook to write down final rhymes and verses. He also lacked sufficient song material. When he was about halfway through the album, Sean Combs was fired from his A&R position by the record company . BIG's career was also at stake. At the time, Notorious BIG was still involved in the drug trade. In 1994 Sean Combs invited him to New York and signed him on his own label Bad Boy Entertainment . The work could be continued under better conditions.
production
Sean Combs worked as executive producer on the album. The actual production was done by Hitmen Productions, an association of well-known producers such as Pete Rock , DJ Premier and Lord Finesse . The album contains numerous samples from funk , soul and other hip-hop artists. From the hip-hop area there are samples from well-known West Coast rappers such as parts of the dissolved NWA , Lords of the Underground , and Onyx on the album. Isaac Hayes Walk on By , the Isley Brothers and Kool & the Gang were used as soul samples . The intro consists of classics of black music. The famous theme song of the film Superfly by Curtis Mayfield , often referred to as the first rap single Rapper's Delight of Sugarhill Gang , the first hit of the duo Audio Two Top Billin and Tha Shiznit of Snoop Dogg , form the backbone of the intro.
Cover design
The album cover shows a seated child of African American descent. It is Keithroy Yearwood, who was 1 at the time. At the top of the picture is the notorious BIG and in the lower part of the illustration is the writing readytodie . The background is completely white.
Track list
# | title | time | Guest Posts | Producers | Samples |
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1 | Intro | 3:24 | Sean Combs for The Hitmen |
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2 | Things Done Changed | 3:57 | Dominic Owens / Kevin Scott |
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3 | Gimme the loot | 5:04 | Easy Mo Bee |
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4th | Machine gun funk | 4:16 | Easy Mo Bee |
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5 | Warning | 3:40 | Easy Mo Bee |
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6th | Ready to Die | 4:24 | Easy Mo Bee |
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7th | One more chance | 4:43 | Totally , Chucky Thompson | Sean Combs & Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen The Bluez Brothers |
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8th | Fuck Me (Interlude) | 1:31 | Lil 'Kim | Sean "Puffy" Combs for The Hitmen | - |
9 | The What | 3:57 | Method Man | Easy Mo Bee | - |
10 | Juicy | 5:03 | Total | Sean Combs for The Hitmen Poke |
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11 | Everyday Struggle | 5:19 | The Bluez Brothers |
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12 | Me & My Bitch | 4:00 | Sybil Pennix | Sean Combs & Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen The Bluez Brothers |
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13 | Big Poppa | 4:13 | Sean Combs & Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen |
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14th | Respect | 5:22 | Diana King | Sean Combs for The Hitmen Poke |
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15th | Friend of Mine | 3:28 | Easy Mo Bee |
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16 | Unbelievable | 3:43 | DJ premier |
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17th | Suicidal Thoughts | 2:54 | Lord finesse |
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18 (*) | Who Shot Ya? | 5:19 | Faith Evans | Sean Combs & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen |
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19 (*) | Just Playing (Dreams) | 2:43 | Rashad Smith |
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(*) Tracks 18 and 19 are bonus songs on the 2004 re-release.
Singles
Three songs on the album were released as singles. The first single was created for the piece Juicy . It was released on August 8, 1994 in the United States of America. In 2002, hip-hop musician Eminem released the song one more time on his sampler More Music from 8 Mile .
In April 1995 the second single Big Poppa followed . The piece of music One More Chance was selected as the third single . In contrast to the album version, the refrain on the single is sung by Faith Evans . The musician Mary J. Blige is also involved in the song.
Success and importance
Chart positions Explanation of the data |
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Professional reviews | |
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Reviews | |
source | rating |
laut.de | |
Rolling Stone | |
allmusic | |
RapReviews |
Ready to Die debuted at number 15 in the US, stayed in the charts for 61 weeks and was six -times-platinum for more than six million copies sold . The album was the first great success of a hip-hop artist from the east coast of the United States. In Europe, commercial success was limited. Ten years after its original release, the album entered the French top 200 charts as a new edition. There took Ready to Die , the positions 140, 118, 147 and 153rd
Ready to Die is still considered a style-defining masterpiece of hardcore rap . In 2006 it was named one of the Top 100 Albums by Time Magazine . The Rolling Stone chose the album in 2012 at number 134 of its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time .
The album was rated five out of five possible points in the Milestones column of the online magazine laut.de. The reviewer Dani Fromm writes that Ready to Die is performing “a hitherto unprecedented balancing act between the brutal reality on the streets of the less fortunate neighborhoods of New York and the glittering, ostentatious, fun-loving, but also superficial world of show business." uncompromising, but still suitable for radio. Set in scene ready for film, but still thoroughly honest. Hard, but still catchy. For the hood and for the mass taste. "
Individual evidence
- ^ Notorious BIG in the RIAA database
- ↑ Report in XXL-Mag
- ↑ Child on the cover
- ↑ Album cover at amazon.de
- ↑ The Notorious BIG Search on the-breaks.com
- ↑ Singles in US charts
- ↑ Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
- ↑ Rating: laut.de
- ↑ Rating: Rolling Stone ( Memento from January 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Rating: allmusic.com
- ↑ Review: RapReviews.com
- ↑ Ready to Die in US Charts
- ↑ RIAA: 6 × platinum
- ^ French chart placements by Ready to Die
- ^ Laut.de: biography of the rapper The Notorious BIG
- ↑ Time magazine: The All-TIME 100 Albums (English)
- ↑ Rolling Stone: Ready to Die # 134
- ↑ laut.de: Review of the album (5/5)