csberry

I got bored and distracted from rap when gangsta rap came along and didn't get back on board until Dirty South. My knowledge of Notorious B.I.G. comes from exposure via Puffy Combs (for better or worse).

The first disc very much sounds like what I expected a Puffy/Biggie album to sound like. There are pop and R&B flourishes on most of the tracks on the first disc. There are the two biggest hits ("Mo Money Mo Problems" and "Hypnotize"), several ballads, and plenty of crooning by guest singers. Thankfully there are only a few tracks throughout the album that the guests kinda cloud who the star of the song really is.

The second CD is rougher sounding and the samples seem more gritty. These songs don't have the same polish the first half had. Some tracks benefit from this switch in attitude, by gaining an "old school" feel to them. But someone should have talked Biggie out of singing. *shudder*

Biggie's style is laid back and blunt. At times, he delivers a constant stream of lyrics with the regularity of a drum machine. If you aren't a fan of those comic sketches or non-musical intervals between tracks, sorry, you still have them here, but they are mostly kept very short. Unfortunately, these intervals are usually placed at the beginning of tracks instead of the end; making it hard to skip over them. Overall, it is an interesting album that seems to be able to straddle the two worlds of street-cred rap and music stardom.

Songs I knew I liked: "Mo Money Mo Problems"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Hypnotize," "F**k You Tonight," "B.I.G. (Interlude)," "Miss You," and "Sky's the Limit"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "What's Beef," "Going Back to Cali," "Playa Hater," "Nasty Boy," and "My Downfall"