Life After Death Album Sales

Life After Death Album Sales 8,3/10 2401 reviews
Ready to Die
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1994
Recorded1993–94
StudioThe Hit Factory and D&D Studios, New York City
Genre
Length69:05
Label
Producer
  • Mr. Cee(associate exec.)
  • Sean 'Puffy' Combs(also exec.)
  • Darnell Scott
The Notorious B.I.G. chronology
Ready to Die
(1994)
Life After Death
(1997)
Singles from Ready to Die
  1. 'Juicy'
    Released: August 9, 1994
  2. 'Big Poppa / Warning'
    Released: December 30, 1994
  3. 'One More Chance'
    Released: June 6, 1995

The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death (1997) Label: Bad Boy Records Copies Sold: 10.2 million (Double album) Galleries Lists Best Of Like Follow Stream; Hide Comments. No Articles Found.

Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy and Arista Records. The album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean 'Puffy' Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. It was recorded from late 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album Life After DeathZeetv youtube. in 1997.

  • Jul 13, 2006 - Biggie had two albums hit #1 following his death -- 'Life After Death'. Dead celebrities were raking in the album sales; Bob Marley, Janis.
  • Sixteen days after his death, his double discs album, Life After Death, was released. The album rose to number one on the U.S. Album charts and became one of the best-selling albums in the United States. Since his death, three more albums have been released, and he has certified sales of over 13.4 million albums.

Ready to Die was released to critical acclaim and became a commercial success, achieving Gold certification. In 1995, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[1] and has since reached a certified 6x platinum with sales. It was significant for revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene, amid West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance.[2] The album's second single 'Big Poppa' was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Ready to Die has been regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums, as well as one of the best albums of all time.

  • 1Background and recording
  • 2Composition
  • 4Critical reception
  • 6Track listing
  • 8Charts

Background and recording[edit]

The album was recorded in New York City (mainly at The Hit Factory) in two stages between 1993 and 1994. In 1994, Biggie was 21 years old going on 22 when he recorded the album. In 1993, Biggie was signed to the Uptown Records label by A&RSean 'Puffy' Combs. Biggie started recording his debut album in New York, after making numerous guest appearances among his label-mates' singles during the previous year. The first tracks recorded include the album's darker, less radio-friendly content (including 'Ready to Die,' 'Gimme the Loot' and 'Things Done Changed'). In these sessions, XXL magazine describe an 'inexperienced, higher-pitched' Biggie sounding 'hungry and paranoid'.[3]

When executive producer Sean 'Puffy' Combs was fired from Uptown, Biggie's career hung in limbo, as the album was only partially completed. After a brief period dealing drugs in North Carolina,[4] Biggie returned to the studio the following year on Combs' new Bad Boy Records label possessing 'a smoother, more confident vocal tone' and completed the album. In this stage, the more commercial-sounding tracks of the album were recorded, including the album's singles. Between the two stages, XXL writes that Biggie moved from writing his lyrics in notebooks to freestyling them from memory.[3]

The album was released with a cover depicting an infant resembling the artist, though sporting an afro, which pertains to the album's concept of the artist's life from birth to his death. It has been listed as among the best album covers in hip hop.[5]

Lawsuits and sample removal[edit]

On March 24, 2006, Bridgeport Music and Westbound Records won a federal lawsuit against Bad Boy Records for copyright infringement, with a jury deciding that Combs and Bad Boy had illegally used samples for the production of the songs 'Ready to Die', 'Machine Gun Funk', and 'Gimme the Loot'.[6][7] The jury awarded $4.2 million in punitive and direct damages to the two plaintiffs, and federal judge Todd Campbell enacted an immediate sales ban on the album and tracks in question.[7] On appeal, the Sixth Circuit found the damages unconstitutionally high and in violation of due process and remanded the case, at which point Campbell reduced them by $2.8 million; however, the verdict was upheld.[8][9] All versions of the album released since the lawsuit are without the disputed samples.[10]

Although a fair use issue, Combs and Bad Boy never raised the legal concept of the fair use doctrine in their defense.[8] This decision was questioned by some legal experts: Anthony Falzone of the Fair Use Project at Stanford Law School criticized Combs and Bad Boy for not defending the legality of sampling and suggested that they might have refused to raise such a defense because they feared it could later imperil their control over their own music.[11]

On April 2, 2014, Lee Hutson of The Impressions filed a multimillion-dollar copyright infringement suit against Combs, Bad Boy Records, and the estate of the late Notorious B.I.G. for copyright infringement, alleging that his song 'Can't Say Enough About Mom' was illegally sampled in the production of the song 'The What'.[12] The estate countersued in turn, claiming the sample as used was short, adapted, and supplemented, and thus subject to fair use,[13] a legal tactic not pursued previously.[11]

Composition[edit]

Production[edit]

The production on the album was mainly handled by Easy Mo Bee and The Hitmen. Cheo H. Coker of Rolling Stone depicted the beats as 'heavy bottomed and slick, but B.I.G.'s rhymes are the showstoppers. The tracks only enhance them, whether it's the live bass driving a menacing undercurrent or [the] use of bluesy guitar and wah-wah feedback' and that the production is used to 'push the rapper to new heights.'[14] The production is mainly sample-based with the samples varying from the percussion of funk tracks to the vocals of hip hop songs. Steve Huey presented some criticism over the beats, stating that the 'deliberate beats do get a little samey, but it hardly matters: this is Biggie's show'.[15]

Lyrical themes[edit]

The Notorious B.I.G.'s lyrics on the album were generally praised by critics. Many critics applauded his story-telling ability such as AllMusic writer Steve Huey, who stated 'His raps are easy to understand, but his skills are hardly lacking—he has a loose, easy flow and a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession'. He also went on to mention that his lyrics are 'firmly rooted in reality, but play like [a] scene from a movie'.[15]Touré, writing for The New York Times, referred to The Notorious B.I.G., proclaiming that he stood out from other rappers because 'his lyrics mix autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty, telling how he felt while making a living as a drug dealer'.[16] The album is also noted for its dark tone and sinister sense of depression.[15] In the original Rolling Stone review, Cheo H Coker declared that he 'maintains a consistent level of tension by juxtaposing emotional highs and lows'.[14] 'Things Done Changed' was also one of the few hip hop songs in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature.[17]

The lyrics on Ready to Die tend to deal with violence, drug dealing, women, alcohol and marijuana use, and other elements of Notorious B.I.G.'s environment. He rapped about these topics in 'clear, sparse terms, allowing the lyrics to hit the first time you hear them'.[14] The album contains a loose concept starting out with an intro that details his birth, his early childhood, his adolescence and his life at the point of the album's release.[16] Songs on the album range from homicide narratives ('Warning') to braggadocios battle raps ('The What,' 'Unbelievable'). The final song was 'Suicidal Thoughts', a song where The Notorious B.I.G. contemplates and finally commits suicide.

Singles[edit]

The album's lead single is a rags to riches narrative, with music that samplesMtume's 1982 song 'Juicy Fruit'.[18]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Three singles were released from the album: 'Juicy', 'Big Poppa', 'One More Chance' and a promotional track of Biggie: 'Warning'. According to XXL the more commercial sound of the singles compared to the rest of the album was a result of encouragement by Combs during the later recording sessions in which they were recorded.[3]

'Juicy' was released as the lead single on August 8, 1994. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles.[19] It shipped 500,000 copies in the United States and the RIAA certified it Gold on November 16, 1994.[20] Produced by Combs, it features a prominent sample of 'Juicy Fruit' as performed by James Mtume. AllMusic's Steve Huey stated that, along with the other singles, it was an 'upbeat, commercial moment', calling it a 'rags-to-riches chronicle'.[15] Andrew Kameka, of HipHopDX.com, stated that the song was one of his 'greatest and most-revealing songs' and went on to say it was a 'Part-autobiography, part-declaration-of-success. It document[s] the star's transition from Brooklyn knucklehead to magazine cover story.'[21] Producer Pete Rock, who was commissioned to remix the track, alleged that Puffy stole the idea for the original song's beat after hearing it from him during a visit. Rock explained this in an interview with Wax Poetics:[22]

I did the original version, didn't get credit for it. They came to my house, heard the beat going on the drum machine, it's the same story. You come downstairs at my crib, you hear music. He heard that shit and the next thing you know it comes out. They had me do a remix, but I tell people, and I will fight it to the end, that I did the original version of that. I'm not mad at anybody, I just want the correct credit.

'Big Poppa' was released as the second single on December 24, 1994 and like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number one on Hot Rap Singles.[19] It sold over a million units and the RIAA certified it Platinum on May 23, 1995.[20] Featuring production by Combs and Chucky Thompson of The Hitmen, it samples 'Between the Sheets' by The Isley Brothers. The song was nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance, but lost to Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise'. Steve Huey named it an 'overweight-lover anthem'.[15]

'One More Chance' was released as the third single on June 9, 1995. The single was a remix of the album track. It was produced by Combs and featured a sample from DeBarge's 'Stay With Me'. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and Hot Rap Singles.[19] It sold over a million copies and the RIAA certified it Platinum on July 31, 1995.[20] Steve Huey labeled it a 'graphic sex rap'.[15]Rolling Stone writer Cheo H. Coker had a similar view of the song, noting that it was 'one of the bawdiest sex raps since Kool G Rap's classic, 'Talk Like Sex' and continued, stating it 'proves hilarious simply because of B.I.G.'s Dolemitelike vulgarity.'[14]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Blender[23]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA−[24]
HipHopDX5/5[25]
Pitchfork10/10[26]
Q[27]
Rolling Stone[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[28]
The Source4.5/5[29]
Uncut[30]

Ready to Die received critical acclaim from music critics. In his review for Rolling Stone, Cheo H. Coker stated 'Ready to Die is the strongest solo rap debut since Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted. From the breathtakingly visual moments of his birth to his Cobainesque end in 'Suicidal Thoughts,' B.I.G. proves a captivating listen. It's difficult to get him out of your head once you sample what he has to offer'.[14]Robert Christgau from The Village Voice commented 'His sex raps are erotic, his jokes are funny, and his music makes the thug life sound scary rather than luxuriously laid back. When he considers suicide, I not only take him at his word, I actively hope he finds another way'.[24]The New York Times wrote 'Though drug dealing carries tremendous heroic value with some young urban dwellers, he sacrifices the figure's romantic potential. His raps acknowledge both the excitement of drug dealing and the stress caused by the threat from other dealers, robbers, the police and parents, sometimes one's own. In presenting the downside of that life, Ready to Die offers perhaps the most balanced and honest portrait of the dealer's life of any in hip-hop'.[31]

Life After Death Song List

Q magazine gave Ready to Die three out of five stars, and stated 'the natural rapping, clever use of sound effects and acted dialogue, and concept element (from a baby being born at the start to the fading heartbeat at the end) set this well apart from the average gangsta bragging'.[27] In their original review for Ready to Die, The Source gave it four-and-a-half out of five 'mics', stating 'Big weaves tales like a cinematographer, each song is like another scene in his lifestyle. Overall, this package is complete: ridiculous beats, harmonizing honeys, ill sound effects, criminal scenarios, and familiar hooks'.[29]

Legacy[edit]

Ready to Die has been highly acclaimed. In 1998, The Source included it on their 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time list,[32] and in 2002, they re-rated it to the maximum five 'mics'.[33]Rolling Stone has also given acclaim to Ready to Die over the years. In 2003, they ranked it number 133 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list,[32] and one year later, they re-rated it to five stars.[28] In 2011, Rolling Stone also placed it at number eight on their 100 Best Albums of the Nineties list, and described it as 'mapping out the sound of 'Nineties cool'.[34] Kilian Murphy from Stylus Magazine wrote favorably of the album in a retrospective review, and concluded 'Sweet, hypocritical, sensitive, violent, depressed and jubilant; these words could all fittingly describe Big at various points on Ready to Die.'[35]

Steve Huey from AllMusic gave it five stars, stating 'The album that reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta age, Ready to Die made the Notorious B.I.G. a star. Today it's recognized as one of the greatest hardcore rap albums ever recorded, and that's mostly due to Biggie's skill as a storyteller'.[18] In 2006, Time magazine included it on their 100 Greatest Albums of All Time list, and stated 'On Ready to Die, Wallace took his street corner experiences and filtered them through his considerable charm. The result was a record that mixed long stretches of menace with romance and lots of humor. No rapper ever made multi-syllabic rhymes sound as smooth'.[36] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[37]

Accolades[edit]

  • The information regarding accolades is adapted from Acclaimedmusic.net,[32]except where noted.
  • (*) signifies unordered lists
PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
About.comUnited States100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums[38]20082
Best Rap Albums of 1994[39]20082
10 Essential Hip-Hop Albums[40]20083
Blender500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die2003*
Dance De LuxSpainThe 25 Best Hip-Hop Records200121
Robert DimeryUnited States1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die2005*
ego tripHip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–9819992
Entertainment WeeklyThe 100 Best Albums from 1983 to 2008200840
The GuardianUnited Kingdom1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die2007*
MojoMojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers Guide2001*
The Mojo Collection, 3rd and/or 4th Edition2003*
Tom MoonUnited States1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die2008*
MTVThe Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time[41]20054
MUZIQFrance200 Records for a Dream Collection2007*
The New NationUnited KingdomTop 100 Albums by Black Artists20058
Pause & PlayUnited StatesAlbums Inducted into a Time Capsule, One Album per Week*
PitchforkTop 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s[42]200332
Pure PopMexicoAlbums of the Year199418
QUnited KingdomThe Ultimate Music Collection2005*
Rolling StoneUnited StatesThe Essential Recordings of the 90s[43]1999*
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time2003133
100 Best Albums of the Nineties[34]20118
SoundsUnited KingdomThe 50 Best Albums of the 1990s200937
The SourceUnited StatesThe 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time1998*
The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time[44]20068
SpinTop 90 Albums of the 90s199927
Top 100 (+5) Albums of the Last 20 Years200530
The 125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years201043
TimeTop 100 Albums of All Time2006*
Vibe100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century1999*
150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007)2007*
Village VoiceAlbums of the Year199438
VPRONetherlands299 Nominations of the Best Album of All Time2006*

Commercial performance[edit]

The album shipped 57,000 units in its first week of release.[45] However, it was then certified Gold by the RIAA only two months after its release on November 16, 1994, and was certified double Platinum on October 16, 1995, only a year and one month after its release.[20] Ready to Die was then certified triple Platinum on August 26, 1998 and was later certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA on October 19, 1999.[20]

Track listing[edit]

Life After Death Album SalesLife after death full album
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1.'Intro'Sean 'Puffy' Combs3:24
2.'Things Done Changed'
  • Wallace
  • Dominic Owen
  • Kevin Scott
Darnell Scott3:58
3.'Gimme the Loot'Easy Mo Bee5:04
4.'Machine Gun Funk'
  • Wallace
  • Harvey
Easy Mo Bee4:17
5.'Warning'Easy Mo Bee3:40
6.'Ready to Die'
  • Wallace
  • Harvey
Easy Mo Bee4:24
7.'One More Chance'
  • Wallace
  • Norm Glover
  • Reginald Ellis
  • Combs
4:43
8.'Fuck Me (Interlude)'
  • Wallace
  • Combs
Combs1:31
9.'The What' (featuring Method Man)Easy Mo Bee3:57
10.'Juicy'
  • Wallace
  • Combs
5:02
11.'Everyday Struggle'
  • Wallace
  • Glover
  • Ellis
Bluez Brothers5:19
12.'Me & My Bitch'
  • Bluez Brothers
  • Chucky Thompson
  • Combs
4:00
13.'Big Poppa'
  • Wallace
4:13
14.'Respect'
  • Wallace
  • Harry Casey
5:21
15.'Friend of Mine'
  • Wallace
  • Harvey
Easy Mo Bee3:28
16.'Unbelievable'DJ Premier3:43
17.'Suicidal Thoughts'
  • Wallace
Lord Finesse2:50
Total length:69:05
Remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18.'Who Shot Ya?'
  • Nashiem Myrick
  • Combs[a]
5:19
19.'Just Playing (Dreams)'Rashad Smith2:43
Total length:77:03
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer.
  • 'Intro', 'Fuck Me (Interlude)' and 'Friend of Mine' contain additional vocals from Lil' Kim.
  • 'One More Chance' and 'Juicy' contain additional vocals from Total.
  • 'Respect' contains backing vocals from Diana King.
  • 'Me & My Bitch' contains additional vocals from Sybil Pennix.

Sample credits[edit]

Intro

  • 'Superfly' performed by Curtis Mayfield
  • 'Rapper's Delight' performed by Sugarhill Gang
  • 'Top Billin' performed by Audio Two
  • 'Tha Shiznit' performed by Snoop Doggy Dogg

Things Done Changed

  • 'California My Way' performed by The Main Ingredient
  • 'Summer Breeze' performed by The Main Ingredient
  • 'Vapors' performed by Biz Markie
  • 'Lil Ghetto Boy' performed by Dr. Dre

Gimme the Loot

  • 'Coldblooded' performed by James Brown
  • 'Singing in the Morning' performed by Ohio Players (Removed following lawsuit.)[7]
  • 'Throw Ya Gunz' performed by Onyx
  • 'What They Hittin' Foe?' performed by Ice Cube
  • 'Just to Get a Rep' performed by Gang Starr
  • 'Scenario (Remix)' performed by A Tribe Called Quest

Machine Gun Funk

  • 'Something Extra' performed by Black Heat
  • 'Up for the Down Stroke' performed by The Horny Horns (Removed following lawsuit.)[7]
  • 'Chief Rocka' performed by Lords of the Underground

Warning

  • 'Walk on By' performed by Isaac Hayes

Ready to Die

  • 'Hospital Prelude of Love Theme' performed by Willie Hutch
  • 'Yes, I'm Ready' performed by Barbara Mason
  • 'Ain't No Half Steppin' performed by Big Daddy Kane
  • 'Two to the Head' performed by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
  • 'Check It Out' performed by Grand Puba
  • 'Singing in the Morning' performed by Ohio Players (Removed following lawsuit.)[7]

One More Chance

  • 'Hydra' performed by Grover Washington Jr.
  • 'Stay With Me' performed by Debarge

Fuck Me

  • 'Feenin' performed by Jodeci

The What

  • 'Can't Say Enough About Mom' performed by Leroy Hutson
  • 'Overnight Sensation' performed by Avalanche

Juicy

  • 'Juicy Fruit' performed by Mtume

Everyday Struggle

  • 'Either Way' performed by Dave Grusin
  • 'Don't Change Your Love' by The Five Stairsteps

Big Poppa

  • 'Between the Sheets' performed by The Isley Brothers
  • 'Dolly My Baby' performed by Super Cat

Respect

  • 'I Get Lifted' performed by KC & the Sunshine Band

Friend of Mine

  • 'The Jam' performed by Graham Central Station
  • 'Seventh Heaven' performed by Gwen Guthrie
  • 'Vicious' performed by Black Mamba

Unbelievable

  • 'Impeach the President' performed by The Honey Drippers
  • 'Kitty With the Bent Frame' performed by Quincy Jones
  • 'Your Body's Callin' performed by R. Kelly

Suicidal Thoughts

  • 'Lonely Fire' performed by Miles Davis
  • 'Outside Love' performed by Brethren

Who Shot Ya?

  • 'I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over' performed by David Porter
  • 'Blues and Pants' performed by James Brown

Personnel[edit]

  • Notorious B.I.G. – writer, performer
  • Sean 'Puffy' Combs – executive producer, additional vocals, producer
  • Mister Cee – associate executive producer
  • Method Man – featured performer
  • Lil' Kim – additional performer
  • Total – additional vocals
  • Chucky Thompson – instruments, producer
  • Nashiem Myrick – additional programming, producer
  • Diana King – additional vocals
  • Sybil Pennix – additional voice
  • Easy Mo Bee – producer
  • The Bluez Brothers – producer
  • Jean 'Poke' Oliver – producer
  • DJ Premier – producer
  • Lord Finesse – producer
  • Darnall Scott – producer
  • Rashad Smith – producer
  • Bob 'Bassy' Brockman – recording, mixing
  • Greg Pinto – recording, mixing
  • Rich Travali – recording, mixing
  • Mario Rodriquez – recording, mixing
  • Charles 'Prince' Alexander – recording, mixing
  • Bill Esses – recording, mixing
  • John Wydrycs – recording
  • Norty Cotto – recording
  • Eddie Sancho – mixing
  • Butch Bel Air – photography
  • Gwendolyn Watts – A&R coordination

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Charts (1994)Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[46]118
US Billboard 200[47]15
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[48]3

Certifications[edit]

RegionCertificationCertified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[49]Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA)[50]6× Platinum6,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1995). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 27.
  2. ^Steve Huey. The Notorious B.I.G. > Biography. AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2007
  3. ^ abcDuncan, Andrea. 'The Making of 'Ready To Die': Family Business'. XXL Mag. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006.
  4. ^Menconi, David (January 25, 2009). 'Notorious B.I.G.'s Raleigh days, revisited'. newsobserver. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017.
  5. ^Ego trip's book of rap lists (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. 1999. p. 167. ISBN978-0-312-24298-5. first1= missing last1= (help)
  6. ^J-23 (December 30, 2005). 'Court After Death: Biggie Being Sued'. HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  7. ^ abcdeAP (March 24, 2006). 'Judge halts sales of Notorious B.I.G. album after jury finds song snippet used without permission'. The Bryan Times. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  8. ^ ab'Westbound Records awarded 688k in punitive damages for Notorious B.I.G. sample'. Exclusive Rights. April 13, 2009. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  9. ^Bailey, Jonathan (April 18, 2009). '04/18: On Appeal, Damages for Unauthorized 'Ready to Die' Sample Reduced by $2,811,477'. Bad Boy Blog. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  10. ^'iTunes – Music – Ready to Die – The Remaster by The Notorious B.I.G.' Apple Inc. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  11. ^ abFalzone, Anthony (October 18, 2007). 'Why, Diddy? Why?'. The Center for Internet and Society. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  12. ^Beekman, Daniel (April 2, 2014). 'Former Impressions singer Lee Hutson slaps hip-hop mogul Diddy, Bad Boy Entertainment and estate of Notorious B.I.G. with copyright infringement lawsuit'. Daily News. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  13. ^Gardner, Eriq (April 1, 2014). 'Notorious B.I.G. Estate Files Pre-emptive Lawsuit Over Song Sample (Exclusive)'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  14. ^ abcdefCoker, Cheo H. (November 3, 1994). 'Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die'. Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  15. ^ abcdef[https://www.allmusic.com/album/r203800
  16. ^ abTOURE (December 18, 1994). 'Biggie Smalls, Rap's Man of the Moment'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  17. ^Gates Jr., Henry Louis, ed. (2004). The Norton Anthology of African American literature (2. ed.). New York, NY [u.a.]: Norton. ISBN978-0-393-97778-3.
  18. ^ abcHuey, Steve. 'Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G.'AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  19. ^ abcReady to Die – Billboard Singles. AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  20. ^ abcde'Gold & Platinum – RIAA'. RIAA. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  21. ^Kameka, Andrew. 'The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die'. HipHopDX. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  22. ^Wax Poetic interview – Pete Rock – tribe.netArchived February 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^Sanneh, Kelefa (July 13, 2004). 'Brooklyn drug dealer cuts rap classic, dies three years later'. Blender. Archived from the original on August 21, 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  24. ^ abChristgau, Robert (2000). 'Notorious B.I.G.: Ready to Die'. Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN0-312-24560-2. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
  25. ^Kameka, Andrew (March 7, 2007). 'The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die'. HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  26. ^Trammell, Matthew (March 9, 2017). 'The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready to Die'. Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  27. ^ ab'The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready to Die'. Q. London (99). December 1994.
  28. ^ abSheffield, Rob (2004). 'The Notorious B.I.G.'. In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 592. ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
  29. ^ abShortie (October 1994). 'The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready to Die'. The Source. New York (61): 79. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  30. ^'The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die'. Uncut. London (90): 128. November 2004. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  31. ^Touré (December 18, 1994). 'Biggie Smalls, Rap's Man of the Moment'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  32. ^ abcAcclaimedmusic.netArchived June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^'Got Five on It'. The Source (150): 176. March 2002.
  34. ^ ab'100 Best Albums of the Nineties'. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
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  49. ^'British album certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die'. British Phonographic Industry.Select albums in the Format field.Select Gold in the Certification field.Type Ready to Die in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
  50. ^'American album certifications – Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.

External links[edit]

  • Ready to Die at Discogs
  • The Making of Ready to Die by XXL
  • Next: The Notorious B.I.G. – By Vibe

Life After Death Album Sales

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