What’s expected today is for us to create a big salutations post to Big.

Realistically, what can we say that hasn’t been said?

If you don’t know by now, you’d be best served dusting yourself off after you climb from under that rock.

Ready To Die, coupled with a few choice others, signaled that the West’s reign of g-funk inspired popularity in previous years had ended, at least until Pac & the Row came on the scene later. We won’t even go into that though.

I’m old enough to remember when the cassette. Yes, cassette because CDs weren’t the preferred choice of media for most. It was my first year of college and I remembered my freshman survival kit contained in my backpack consisted of a few constants: my Walkman, extra batteries and two tapes – Illmatic and Ready To Die.

At the time, most of us were in awe. You had to listen to it in bits & pieces, and in sections because Big did so much with the album lyrically & conceptually. And if you look back, it was a part of a turning point for hip-hop because never before had an artist had an equal amount of commercial success and street love.

Chicks loved him…They used to sub in names for the chorus of “One More Chance.”

Purists loved him because this was before the idea that there was any subgenres of hip-hop. Backpackers, thugs, intellectual…everybody could find a track to vibe to.

Street aggins loved him…I remember Low the barber always yelling out “…and then we cry together, lie together/I swear to God I hope we fuckin die together!”

Everybody loved him – Imagine that bar scene in Hardball where Keanu is singin “Big Poppa” occurring everywhere because you could find anyone singing that song. Your mom & dad. Aunties. Old ass player uncles played it in their whips. Anybody.
So really, there wasn’t much to be said that hasn’t been said in previous years.

And in light of Big’s death, Canibus quite possibly said it better than any journalist could have anyways.

The Best of Biggie Hosted by Mister Cee

As an aside, you can peep Mister Cee Speaking on Biggie. In all truth, we owe Cee just as much as Puff for exposing us to Christopher Wallace in his rawest form.

Stray Shots

Simply Red – Stay (2007)

Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers – Upside Down

Wynton Marsalis – From The Plantation To The Penitentiary

Stephen_Marley-Mind_Control-2007

Worldwide Legacy Presents Wayne’s World 5

VA-OG_Ron_C_Presents-Grind_Mode_2_(Hosted_By_Khujo_Goodie)

Corinne Bailey Rae – Live In London & New York

VA – The Timeless Interpretations (Dopeness Galore)

Sounds Of The Seventies: 70′s Dance Party Boxset (6 Discs)

Stray Shots