The Notorious B.I.G. Duets-The Final Chapter

Before I start I will give you an introduction. Many people have made albums of people after death this is only Biggie’s 2nd(Born again) the Biggie duets is supposed to be a the best of biggies verses collaborated with artists of nowadays or of the past he never got to work with. The challenge of the collaborating artist as well as the production staff is to complement B.I.G.’s verses. I will give a little backround of the song and a review of it after.

1.Live from Jamacia---eh it’s the intro only talking basically an intro as if B.I.G. was doing a concert in Jamacia one listen is enough.

2.It Has Been said(Eminem,Obie Trice, P. Diddy) prod. Eminem-----The first song on the CD and the first song that shows you this isn’t gonna be a Biggie CD. Eminem, Obie Trice and P. Diddy are the only people with verses. Eminem’s verse was a tribute to his legacy and was good not great but good. Obie’s verse another tribute verse and seemed like he just tried to hard to make it sound like he really wrote this for B.I.G., then Diddy’s verse of tribute was nothing but trash. One of the worst Diddy has spit in a while. He tried to get his point across that biggie was his friend and this CD was not just a scheme to get money, However with verses like this it doesn’t work.

3.Spit your game(Notorious B.I.G., Twista, Krazie Bone) prod. Swizz Beats----It combines Biggie’s verse on Notorious Thugs with new verses with Krazie bone and an addition of Twista. Big’s verse is sped up to match the Swizz Beats beat. It defiantly doesn’t add to the song but it doesn’t take away from it either. The beat is nothing special and “Swizzy’s” adlibs in the background give the song a bad appeal. Final verdict waste of a good B.I.G. verse.

4.Whatchu Want(Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z)prod. Danja----Finally the third B.I.G./Jay collab that had been recorded. These two have always worked well together from Brooklyn’s finest to Love this Dough. Biggie’s two verses were also the first unreleased ones on the CD. Nice verses from B.I.G. but one of his predictable battle verses and Jay stepped up to improve the song with a great verse that included this line “You based on us, you fiction/Ya eight's don't bust, you a constant contradiction” Danja also gives the best production so far on this disc.

5.Get your Grind on(Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun, Fat Joe)prod. Sean C.----- The intro to this song gets you ready for greatness as a collab between B.I.G. and Big Pun is talked about. The beat creeps in as B.I.G. spits excerpts from “My Downfall” while freeway spits another uninspired chorus. Big Pun comes in with a verse along with Fat Joe. Puns verse is average at best but delivered nice, while Fat Joe’s verse explains how far he’s has fallen since he was just starting in the terror squad. Terrible is the only word to describe it. Skipping this track is a good idea unless you love pun’s delivery and B.I.G.’s verses. Sean C and Diddy did nothing with this beat just a simple piano loop some quiet violins.

6.Living The Life(Notorious B.I.G., Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Faith Evans, Bobby Valentino)prod. The Hitmen----- A song about the Life after making it “B.I.G.” . Biggie starts this with his verse of “Let Me Get Down” off of Born again. A highly upbeat song however this song doesn’t seem to fit anyone’s verses. And sounds really crowded with three R&B voices on it(Faith Evans, Cheri Dennis, Bobby Valentino). The verses have a couple punchlines but not something you can’t wait to listen too again.The Hitmen and Diddy cooked up what sounds like the finished beat to the previous song(Get your grind on). This is yet another song with just Big names.

7.The Greatest Rapper---an interlude where his Son C.J. states his dad was the Greatest Rapper Ever….in other words a waste of 8 sec.

8.1970 somethin’(Notorious B.I.G., The Game)prod. Dre & Vidal------ The title can tell a Biggie fan where his verses will be coming from(Respect for those that don’t know) and as it intro’s to the beginning the Chorus and beat are sounding nice until…. You hear the verses. NO B.I.G.’s verses are the same except his voice is changed and is chopped up. His delivery is destroyed and If you since Game only has one lackluster verse with a coupl nice lines Biggie Fans are recommended to just listen to “Respect” off of Ready to Die. Not a good song at all.

9.Nasty Girl(Notorious B.I.G., P. Diddy, Jagged Edge, Nelly)prod. Jazze Pha----The first single off the CD and a single is exactly what it sounds like. I wouldn’t even recommend DJ’s playing this at a club it’s so bad. Jazze Pha the only beat it seems he knows how to create and Biggie’s verse is from Nasty Boy and tells the story of going out and getting with a girl. However Didd’y verse and Jagged edge sound like they are at a strip club throwing money. Not only don’t they fit Nelly, spits half a verse and it sounds like he was busy doing something else during his verse. This song is definitely shippable material. As much as I dislike this song Jagged edge sounds nice on the track.

10.Living in Pain(Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Nas, Mary J. Blige)prod. Just Blaze-----This is clearly the Best song on the CD. It looks a little intimidating seeing 3 hip hop Legends combining with an R&B Legend but this is what the other songs on the CD were trying to be. This song is great and worth many spins. Mary J delivers heart felt vocals along with an amazing chorus as only she can. Biggie and 2pac both spit unreleased verses that sound meant to go together. Nas comes after and sounds determined to spit one of his best for the simple fact he understands he’s on the track with greatness and man does he do it. I wouldn’t say it’s his best but it’s nothing short of great. All this is Backed up by a Gloomy hard hitting beat from Just Blaze definitely something special. The three verses by Nas, 2Pac and B.I.G. complement each other so well. They all talk about the House of Pain but three different houses. Biggie speaks on the pain of growing up and doing stuff that hurt him emotionally and the people around him physically. 2Pac spoke on the pressures that pain a man trying to make it in this world and all outside forces that can get you down. Nas Brings it to 2005 and gives explains how we are still living in this world that’s a “House of Pain”.

11.I’m Wit Whateva(Lil' Wayne, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones)prod. Stevie J-------This wasn’t a good look No Biggie on the track at all. In the original version of this song which was one a Diplomat’s mix tape has Biggie with the first verse off Ready to die. This track without Biggie has no place on this CD. As far as Lil’ Wayne he has a predictable punch line after punch line verse but rides the beat well on this track. After wheezy says his piece the song needs to be turned off ASAP. Juelz’s verse is very choppy and after listening to it many times I still have not figured out on good thing to say about it.

12.Beef(Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep)prod. Havoc------This verse is the best one from Biggie on the CD, wasn’t changed much and the beat while not similar to the one on Life After Death it is a good one nonetheless I would say that this one is actually better. It is the first verse from What’s Beef. Mobb Deep was a nice touch to the song showing the violent side of beef. P.Diddy managed to effect this song in a negative way by trying to seem intimidating with his high pitched curses over the end of the record including that this is the second best song on the CD.

13.My Dad-----another interlude from his daughter saying that Biggie was her Dad and at the risk of sounding unsympathetic to her situation I will have to say she also should have been left off because her and her brother have now wasted 18 sec combined of my life. These interludes are annoying and should have been left off at all costs.

14.Hustler’s story(Notorious B.I.G., Akon, Scarface, Big Gee)prod. Reefa------- WOW I usually don’t like Akon but he did his thang with the Chorus of this track.This song is overall surprisingly good. Scarface is a nice touch and If Akon would not have “sung” his verse if you call what Akon does singing. Big Gee delivers a nice verse and complements the theme of the song while adding his ownlittle touch. This is a very Underrated track.

15.Breakin’ Old habit’s(Notorious B.I.G., T.I., Slim Thug)prod. Chink Santana------another well produced track(3 in a row) and If T.I. would have stayed on the chorus would have greatly impacted the song. B.I.G.’s verse is nothing short of amazing with lines like “While I just, slang coke, smoke pounds to choke/Got lawyers watching lawyers so I won't go broke” The song is about after fighting all your life your habits of fighting still impact you in everything you do and are hard to break. Slim Thug delivers another surprisingly good verse with lines like “I roll strapped glock 40 in my lap/I rap but still think like I'm grinding in the trap/Trying to adapt to the change from the streets to the game/Can't be selling CD's and still selling dem thangs” T.I.’s chorus is great and this is where you get the sense that the album is flowing.

16.Ultimate Rush(Notorious B.I.G., Missy Elliot)prod. Scott Storch------This song is not good anyway you slice it. Missy Elliot comes off and does her verse and it sounds like she is only on the song because lil’ kim was not. Missy is the main reason for the failure of this is a song. She has terrible lines after terrible lines. B.I.G.’s verse is lackluster and doesn’t sound like it belongs on this beat. Storch’s beat is way to cluttered and is another problem with this song. This song starts the decline of the album.

17.Mi Casa(Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly, Charlie Wilson) prod. DJ Green Lantern----- The beat on this song is not terrible but is far from good. Then the fact that R. Kelly didn’t even try to be on the same page as B.I.G. was upsetting. B.I.G.’s verses of friend of mine were altered, again his voice was made into a higher pitch. Another skippable track unless you really like hearing the words to friend of mine and even then I would suggest just getting out ready to Die.

18.Little Homie----- Interlude saying Biggie is and will always be the king of New York.

19.Hold Ya Head(Notorious B.I.G., Bob Marley)prod. Clinton Sparks------ on first listen the intro to this song is great the beat is moderately upbeat and Bob Marley repeating a little hook and sounding nice. After about 20 sec. The beat drops out and it’s more of somebody banging on the left side of a piano and the lyrics from Suicidal Thoughts come in. His voice is noticeably different to someone who is used to hearing it on RTD. My first problem with this song is that it sounds like too different songs they tried too hard to put it together. My Second and main problem with this song is that these once poetic and sad lyrics were chopped up into three verses with way too many pauses. The third thing about this song is that it is completely unnecessary, There are already too many songs and this is just changing a good song that needed not to be messed with.

20.Just a Memory(Notorious B.I.G., The Clipse)prod. Scram Jones-----Scram Jones and the Clipse make this such a nice track they actually take the attention completely away from B.I.G. Malice and Pusha-T’s verses were much better than the verse that biggie spit by a long shot. Biggie’s verse was the first off of the song “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Kills you” and is a good verse. The Clipse make this one of the best songs on the CD with their great descriptive verses. This beat sounds exactly like the type the Clipse usually uses not overly complex or overly simplistic; it is just complex enough to not take away from the lyrics.

21.Wake Up(Notorious B.I.G., Korn)prod. Jonathan Davis------- Korn and Biggie may sound strange but I like the way he sounds under these guitar’s the beat is sort of dark and gloomy and becomes really energetic as biggies verses change. He spits the classic If I should die before I wake’s first verse. Where he starts “I’m loco bro but ain’t no Mexican/I got nines in the bedroom, Glocks in the kitchen/ and a shotty by the shower if you wanna shoot me while I’m shittin.” When the song get’s more up beat B.I.G. kicks the lyrics to “Kick in the Door” too finish off the song. All in all an interesting concept for a song and sounds nice together very pleasantly surprised by this song. Even though I couldn’t figure what wake up has to do with it. DISCLAIMER if you don’t like rock and roll or corn after Biggies second verse you may want to press skip because that’s all that’s left.

22.Love is everlasting-------- A track where Biggies mother say’s what I think is a poem she wrote for her son. I don’t like the sound of her voice and if you don’t then another skippable interlude ends the CD.This CD has it’s up’s and it’s Downs It has some nice unreleased verses and different versions of many other verses Biggie has created over the years. Not many songs came together and really meshed well but the ones that did were fantastic.

Rating:6.3 way too many skippable tracks and poor attempts of duets mixed in with some classic tracks. Overall It get’s my three step system.
1. insert and press play.
2. Skip around.
3. Eject.

Review Done by the one and only Jonathan Layon Crook