Life After Death
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| Life After Death | ||
 |
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| Studio album by The Notorious B.I.G. | ||
| Released | March 25, 1997 (US) | |
| Recorded | July 1995 to January 1997 in New York City, Los Angeles and Trinidad | |
| Genre | East Coast hip hop Mafioso rap |
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| Length | 109:01 | |
| Label | Bad Boy Records | |
| Producer(s) | Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Carlos "July Six" Broady, Buckwild, Clark Kent, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Havoc, Daron Jones, Kay-Gee, Nashiem Myrick, DJ Premier, RZA, and Stevie J. | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Notorious B.I.G. chronology | ||
| Ready to Die (1994) |
Life After Death (1997) |
Born Again (1999) |
Life After Death is the second album by East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (also known as Biggie Smalls) and was released posthumously on March 25, 1997 (see 1997 in music). A double album that acts as a sequel of sorts to Ready to Die (1994), Life After Death received a great deal of critical praise, if not quite on the same level as his debut. B.I.G.'s brief career was cut short by his murder on March 9, 1997 just before the release of Life After Death.
The album featured B.I.G.’s mafioso crime kingpin character living a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle (as opposed to Ready to Die, in which Biggie rapped about life as a young street hustler) while making numerous references to theatrical crime thrillers. Featuring collaborations with 112, Jay-Z, Lil Kim, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, R. Kelly, The Lox, Faith Evans, Too $hort, DMC, Carl Thomas, Mase & Puff Daddy, among others, the album cemented Biggie's legacy as one of hip hop's most respected and successful MCs, and is remembered as a classic of Mafioso rap. It was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2000 and is currently the best-selling rap album and 1 of 4 rap albums certified diamond.
Contents |
[edit] Impact & Influence
Though released in the wake of B.I.G.'s fatal shooting, Life After Death signaled a stylistic change in gangsta rap as it crossed over to the commercial mainstream. After the release of Life After Death, Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records continued to bring pop and gangsta rap closer together: the references to violence and drug dealing remained, as did the entire gangsta rhetoric, but the overall production style changed from the previously darker sound to a cleaner, sample-heavy, more upbeat sound that was directly fashioned for the mainstream pop charts, as seen in the single "Mo Money Mo Problems." The Notorious B.I.G. is often credited with initiating this transition, as he was among the first mainstream rappers to produce albums with a calculated attempt to include both gritty and realistic gangsta narratives as well as more radio-friendly productions. Much of the album is produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs and his Hitmen production team, which includes Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Carlos "July Six" Broady, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, and Nashiem Myrick. However, other notable hip-hop producers such as DJ Premier and RZA contributed beats to the album as well.
Combs and his Hitmen would continue to draw on this pop and sample-oriented production style for future releases such as No Way Out and Harlem World, ushering in what is often referred to as hip hop's "shiny-suit" era in the late '90s.
It should be noted that many songs on both discs contain subtle references to B.I.G.'s rivals. "Kick In The Door" is directed at Nas and Raekwon. The song Notorious Thugs refers to 2Pac in the line "so cold beef with you-know-who". Going Back to Cali also references beef with the West Coast subliminally.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 483 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Disc one
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Life After Death (Intro)" | Stevie J; co-produced by The Notorious B.I.G. | Puff Daddy | 1:39 |
| 2 | "Somebody's Gotta Die" | Carlos "Six July" Broady, Nashiem Myrick, Pierre Retrayt | The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:26 |
| 3 | "Hypnotize" | Deric Angelettie, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence | The Notorious B.I.G., Pamela Long, Puff Daddy | 3:49 |
| 4 | "Kick in the Door" | DJ Premier | The Madd Rapper, The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:46 |
| 5 | "Fuck You Tonight" | Daron Jones | The Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly | 5:45 |
| 6 | "Last Day" | Havoc; co-produced by Puff Daddy, Stevie J | The Notorious B.I.G., The LOX (Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, Styles P) | 4:18 |
| 7 | "I Love the Dough" | Easy Mo Bee | Angela Winbush, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:12 |
| 8 | "What's Beef?" | Carlos "Six July" Broady, Nashiem Myrick; co-produced by Paragon | The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy | 5:15 |
| 9 | "B.I.G. Interlude" | The Notorious B.I.G., Deric Angelettie | The Notorious B.I.G. | 0:48 |
| 10 | "Mo Money Mo Problems" | Stevie J | Kelly Price, Mase, The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy | 4:17 |
| 11 | "Niggas Bleed" | Carlos "Six July" Broady, Nashiem Myrick, Stevie J | The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:51 |
| 12 | "I Got a Story to Tell" | Buckwild; co-produced by Chucky Thompson, Puff Daddy | The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:42 |
[edit] Disc two
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Notorious Thugs" | Stevie J, Puff Daddy | Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone), The Notorious B.I.G. | 6:07 |
| 2 | "Miss U" | Kay Gee | 112, The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:59 |
| 3 | "Another" | Stevie J | Lil' Kim, The Notorious B.I.G. | 4:15 |
| 4 | "Going Back to Cali" | Easy Mo Bee | The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:07 |
| 5 | "Ten Crack Commandments" | DJ Premier | The Notorious B.I.G. | 3:24 |
| 6 | "Playa Hater" | Stevie J | The Notorious B.I.G. | 3:57 |
| 7 | "Nasty Boy" | Stevie J | The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:33 |
| 8 | "Sky's the Limit" | Clark Kent | 112, The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:29 |
| 9 | "The World Is Filled..." | Deric Angelettie | Carl Thomas, The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Too Short | 4:54 |
| 10 | "My Downfall" | Carlos "Six July" Broady & Nashiem Myrick | DMC, The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:26 |
| 11 | "Long Kiss Goodnight" | RZA | The Notorious B.I.G. | 5:18 |
| 12 | "You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)" | Stevie J; co-produced by DJ Enuff & Jiv Poss | Faith Evans, The Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy | 4:56 |
[edit] Partial list of samples
The following lists some songs and sounds sampled for Life After Death.
Life After Death (Intro)
- "Suicidal Thoughts" by The Notorious B.I.G.
Somebody's Gotta Die
- "In the Rain" by The Dramatics
Hypnotize
- "Rise" by Herb Alpert
- Interpolates "La Di Da Di" by Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh
Kick In The Door
I Love The Dough
- "I Love You More" by Rene & Angela
B.I.G. Interlude
- "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" by Schooly D
Mo Money Mo Problems
- "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross
I Got A Story To Tell
- "I'm Glad You're Mine" by Al Green
Miss U
- "Missing You" by Diana Ross
Going Back to Cali
- "More Bounce To The Ounce" by Zapp
Ten Crack Commandments
- "Valantra" by Les McCann
- "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy
Playa Hater
- "Hey! Love" by The Delfonics
Nasty Boy
- "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid
Sky's the Limit
- "Keep On" by D. Train
- "My Flame" by Bobby Caldwell
The World Is Filled
- "Space Talk" by Asha Puthli
- "The What" by The Notorious B.I.G.
Long Kiss Goodnight
- "The Letter" by Al Green
- "The Letter" by Grant Green
[edit] Accolades
The information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net[1] and other website links below.
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Magazine | USA | The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time | 2002 | #25 |
| Ego Trip | USA | Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 | 1999 | #1 |
| Hip-Hop Connection | UK | The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 | #14 | |
| Rolling Stone | USA | List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 2003 | #483 |
| Rolling Stone | USA | The Essential Recordings of the 90s | 1999 | * |
| The New Nation | UK | Top 100 Albums by Black Artists | #60 | |
| The Source | USA | 100 Best Rap Albums | 1998 | * |
| Vibe Magazine | USA | 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement | 2004 | * |
( * ) designates lists which are unordered.
[edit] Album singles
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
 |
"Hypnotize" |
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"Mo Money Mo Problems" featuring Mase & Puff Daddy |
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"Sky's The Limit" featuring 112
|
"Fuck You Tonight" is found on the A-Side of "Mo Money Mo Problems".
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] Album
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
| Canadian Albums chart | 3 |
[edit] Singles
| Song | Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Hypnotize" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| "Hypnotize" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 1 |
| "Hypnotize" | U.S. Hot Rap Tracks | 1 |
| "Hypnotize" | Canadian Singles Chart | 3 |
| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 2 |
| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | U.S. Hot Rap Tracks | 1 |
| "Mo Money Mo Problems" | Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| "Going Back to Cali" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 26 |
| "Going Back to Cali" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 31 |
| "Going Back to Cali" | U.S. Hot Rap Tracks | 3 |
| Song | Chart (1998) | Peak position |
| "Sky's the Limit" | Canadian Singles Chart | 11 |
[edit] Credits
- Barry White - Hair Stylist
- Kit Walker - Sampled Keyboards
- The Notorious B.I.G. - Vocals (background), Producer, Liner Notes
- Karen Anderson - Vocals (background)
- Easy Mo Bee - Producer
- Michael Ciro - Guitar
- Sean "Puffy" Combs - Producer, Mixing
- DJ Premier - Producer
- Ben Garrison - Engineer
- Rich July - Engineer
- Marvin Scandrick - Vocals, Vocals (background) (112)
- Quinnes Parker - Vocals, Vocals (background) (112)
- Daron Jones - Producer, Vocals, Vocals (background) (112)
- Michael Keith - Vocals, Vocals (background) (112)
- Clark Kent - Producer
- Paul Logus - Mixing
- Manny Marroquin - Engineer
- Tony Maserati - Mixing
- Axel Niehaus - Engineer
- Michael Patterson - Engineer, Mixing
- Herb Powers - Mastering
- RZA - Producer
- Eddie Sancho - Mixing
- Richard Travali - Mixing
- Doug Wilson - Engineer
- DJ Enuf - Producer
- Faith Evans - Vocals (background)
- Carl Thomas - Vocals
- Pierre Retrayt - Producer
- Rasheed Goodlowe - Engineer
- Nasheim Myrick - Producer
- Michael Lavine - Photography
- Camilo Argumedes - Engineer
- Deric Angelettie - Producer
- Stevie J. - Producer
- Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander - Engineer, Mixing
- Carlos Broady - Organ (Hammond), Producer
- Lane Craven - Engineer, Mixing
- Krayzie Bone - Vocals
- Deborah "Portia" Neeley Rolle - Vocals (background)
- Jiv Pos - Producer
- Stephen Dent - Engineer
- Lynn Montrose - Engineer
- Steve Jones - Engineer
- Bizzy Bone - Vocals
- John Meredith - Engineer
- Layzie Bone - Vocals
- Diana Pedraza - Engineer
- Mike Pitts - Assistant Producer
- Kay Gee - Producer
- Groovey Lew - Stylist
- Ron Grant - Guest Appearance
- Keanna Henson - Vocals (background)
- Justin Cortinas- Producer
[edit] References
- ^ Life After Death at AcclaimedMusic.net. Retrieved on December 23, 2006.
| The Notorious B.I.G. |
|---|
| Discography |
| Albums & EPs |
| Ready to Die • Life After Death • Born Again • Duets: The Final Chapter • Greatst Hits |
| Singles |
| "Party and Bullshit" • "Juicy" • "Big Poppa" • "One More Chance" • "Hypnotize" • "Mo Money Mo Problems" • "Sky's the Limit" • "Notorious B.I.G." • "Dead Wrong" • "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" • "Nasty Girl" • "Spit Your Game" • "Hold Ya Head" |
| Guest singles |
| "Who Shot Ya?" • "Suicidal Thoughts" • "Warning" • "Notorious Thugs" |
| Related articles |
