Race Jones
gangster. grace. alchemy
Twenty years ago today (March 9, 1997), Hip-Hop lost a true king when Biggie Smalls died. The MC also known as The Notorious B.I.G. had risen to form in less than five years, after making early appearances beside Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, and Super Cat. By the time Biggie released his first solo record, the Easy Mo Bee-produced “Party & Bulls**t” (from the Who’s The Man? soundtrack) it was clear that a special type of artist was arriving on the New York City Hip-Hop scene. 1994’s Ready To Die debut cemented that status as a classic, signaling a return for not only B.I.G.’s borough of Brooklyn, but hardcore East Coast Hip-Hop as a whole. With DJ Premier, Mo Bee, Lord Finesse and others behind him, Biggie was re-tooling the rugged sound for the charts, and bringing what he loved about Hip-Hop with him, to where he and Puff Daddy saw it going in the mid-’90s.
While much has been written and shared about B.I.G. over the years, there are still several priceless gems about who he was as an artist and man that are known to only a few. Today, in an outpouring of love and celebration of his life, some of Biggie’s closest friends and associates, including Mister Cee, Faith Evans, Styles P, Lil Cease, DJ Premier, Fat Joe and many more, share several things about B.I.G. that even his most ardent fans may not know.
Recognizing one of Hip-Hop’s most meaningful anniversaries, J. Period has curated a “DJ Pack” remix edition of March 9. Pulling highlights from the trilogy, the DJ/producer made this 20-track version available for free download.
REST IN BEATS.
While much has been written and shared about B.I.G. over the years, there are still several priceless gems about who he was as an artist and man that are known to only a few. Today, in an outpouring of love and celebration of his life, some of Biggie’s closest friends and associates, including Mister Cee, Faith Evans, Styles P, Lil Cease, DJ Premier, Fat Joe and many more, share several things about B.I.G. that even his most ardent fans may not know.
YOU'RE NOBODY UNTIL SOMEBODY KILLS YOU-NOTORIOUS B.I.G
Recognizing one of Hip-Hop’s most meaningful anniversaries, J. Period has curated a “DJ Pack” remix edition of March 9. Pulling highlights from the trilogy, the DJ/producer made this 20-track version available for free download.
REST IN BEATS.
