What's up world! This is a special edition of CMEWHH today. Today commemorates two very iconic periods in the history of not just hip-hop but music as well. Today is the 20th anniversary of Biggie Smalls' seminal debut, Ready To Die, an album that has been universally acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all-time in ANY genre. This album was compared to another benchmark album in music, Nas' Illmatic. The irony is that Illmatic entered the game in April of the same year and became known as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time. Years later it has been widely noted that in fact Illmatic IS the greatest and most influential album of all-time. However, Ready To Die was definitely not far at all from that same title. In fact, there were, and still are quite a few comparisons. Although Biggie's album was way more graphic and vicious in nature, it nonetheless told a vivid story of a young guy from Bed-Stuy Brooklyn adapting to the harrowing streets and atmosphere that surrounded him. Not to mention issues of his mother's cancer, dealing with baby mama issues, and plots of people out to get him. This album showed his knack for storytelling in very surreal fashion that often entailed hustling, an excessive lifestyle, and violence. From the aggressive tracks like "Gimme The Loot" and "Machine Gun Funk" to detailed stories like "Me & My Bitch" and "Warning" to the ridiculous battle stylings of the DJ Premier-blessed "Unbelievable", this album was practically flawless (his closing song "Suicidal Thoughts" still remains his most haunting opus twenty years after its release). Unlike today's rap that clearly has little to no innovation or standout mark to distinguish themselves from every other "thug" or "trap star", Biggie's convincing rhymes and unmistakable delivery separated him from most among his East Coast peers during that time.
The album ended up selling up to four-million units and solidified his position as the next to watch in hip-hop. His singles of "Juicy", "Big Poppa" and the Faith Evans/Mary J. Blige remixed version of "One More Chance" propelled him into one of the brightest new stars in the industry. Don't let the radio fool you, however, because the album was not for the weak at heart. It was rugged, mean-faced, and above all else, RAW. Many dispute as to which was his better album: this or his final studio album Life After Death? Truthfully, it's irrelevant. The point is, this started the legacy of a prodigious emcee gone way too soon.
Unfortunately, with some sweet also comes the bitter. Today's date marks the death of one of music's most polarizing figures ever in Tupac Amaru Shakur. Shakur was shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas the week prior and died seven days later. Personally, I was very affected by it. In spite of how controversial he was and how infamous he was with starting beefs and his "D.T.A." attitude (that's "don't trust anybody"), nobody can deny how talented he was as a rhymer, a poet, a thinker, and a revolutionary. Seen as hip-hop's Kurt Cobain or Jim Morrison, he was a visionary in spite of his hostility and angst towards the world. Although his albums of 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. were strong releases, it wasn't until he dropped his magnum opus, Me Against The World, that he really reached critical acclaim, and truthfully it was my favorite album from him. Although released while he was in prison for a sexual assault charge, this was his most personal and most reflective album. To this day, his cut "So Many Tears" remains as his most brilliant, although chilling, cut ever written. Over a sample of Stevie Wonder's "That Girl", Shakur presented a track that could very well be the most depressing song ever made, yet so excellently done. Here's a look at this amazing track.
In lieu of the recent string of suicides, especially in the public eye, this is not for the suicidal minded. Otherwise, this is one of many brutally honest and introspective cuts that Shakur left for us. His final in-studio album was the excellent All Eyez On Me, which was released in February of '96. The album spawned monstrous cuts like the anthemic "California Love", "All About U", "2 Of Amerika'z Most Wanted" and the heartfelt "I Ain't Mad At Cha", which produced an almost foretelling video, as he was rapping from heaven as an angel. From there, he delivered TONS of posthumous cuts that appeared on albums such as Don Kiluminati: The 7-Day Theory under his Makaveli alias, R U Still Down? Remember Me, and his collaborative album with his group Tha Outlawz, Still I Rise. Seen as one of, if not the most, prolific and influential artists of our time, Tupac will forever be an icon in every sense of the word, love him or hate him.
These two incredible emcees, although embroiled in the most personal and memorable rivalry in hip-hop history, were also ironically connected in a very fateful way. While we saw the birth of an emerging star in the business with a phenomenal debut, we also witnessed the tragic death of an emcee we'll never ever forget in our lifetime. The next year, this same promising emerging star met his death in what was clearly a setup, pre-meditated killing just like Shakur's death. Please, kill all these conspiracy, death-faking talks of Shakur and just keep remembering how tremendous his talent was and how insightful his lyrics were. Alive or dead, these two will always be cornerstones of what we call hip-hop.
That's it for now, but I will leave you with two more cuts: one from the memorable Ready To Die and another classic from Shakur. See you guys and gals on the re-up!
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