15 of the Best Notorious B.I.G. Songs
There was a lot of talk about Mid Western, Southern, West, and East coast rappers on this side without being able to take time to celebrate Christopher Wallace properly. If you had to guess, yes I fall firmly in the Biggie Smalls is the GOAT camp. Let's run through 15 of his best songs! If nothing else it'll be a great time to listen to some of the best Hitmen production.
Song/Rank:
#15- "Notorious B.I.G." (ft. Puff Daddy & Lil Kim) [Born Again 1999]
Reason Why:
This song mostly gets by on the video that has the likes of Tracy Morgan, Nas, Missy, and 98 Degrees for some reason. The hook also pushes this song into classic status.
Song/Rank:
#14- "Unbelievable" [Ready to Die 1994]
Reason Why:
Although this is a pretty minimalist beat, the song works because of Biggie's flow and amazing quotables throughout.
Song/Rank:
#13-"Ten Crack Commandments" [Life after Death 1997]
Reason Why:
Hamilton fans may recognize this track as the basis for "The Ten Duel Commandments." What makes this track stick out, however, is the conversational approach to the way Big shares the rules with you. You legitimately feel like your learning from an elder all while nodding your head to a dope track.
Song/Rank:
#12- "Whatcu Want" (ft. JAY-Z) [Duets: The Final Chapter 2005]
Reason Why:
I really don't like the album, as a whole. However, I can't deny that the best living rapper on a Danja beat with unearthed Biggie verses is inciting. The song does not disappoint. I do think I appreciate the JAY-Z closer more, but the energy in Biggie's voice was welcome.
Song/Rank:
#11-"One More Chance (Remix)" (ft. Faith Evans & Mary J. Blige) [Single 1995]
Reason Why:
If I had to guess, I would say this was the song that won my dad over, word to the DeBarge sample. He quoted lines from this song habitually. It also represents peak Biggie. The rapper who could crossover with R&B backing while never feeling like a softer version of himself. Check out the video with more crazy cameos... no boy bands from what I can remember though.
Song/Rank:
#10- "Sky's the Limit" (ft. 112) [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
Here we go with more smoothed out player style Biggie with 112 ready to provide a hook I couldn't get out of my head for months after I first heard it! I immediately felt emotionally affected by the aspiration oozing out of this song! The video does not slack either! Casting kids in all the roles really worked for me... as a kid, but also was a genius work around, what I can only assume, was the inability for B.I.G. to appear in the video.
Song/Rank:
#9- "Juicy" [Ready to Die 1994]
Reason Why:
Another winner for my father, word to the Mtume sample. There is also the fact that this is probably the song that will be associated with Biggie forever and then some. I've got to imagine that most people use this song as their go to Biggie impression. Here's the video just so you can work on your hand gestures when you recite these verses!
Song/Rank:
#8- "Dead Wrong" (ft. Eminem) [Born Again 1999]
Reason Why:
It's the orchestral hits with that particular snare throughtout that get me with this song. The beat just sounds so cool! Add to that the amazing Eminem verse at the end and Biggie with some more of his Hip Hop quotables! It all comes together to give you the kind of nostalgia that forces you to overlook the extremely problematic content from the guy you'd expect it from and even Biggie!
Song/Rank:
#7- "I Got a Story to Tell"
Reason Why:
This song, like many other Biggie songs, plays out like a movie. There is suspense, gun play, hidden money, and just when you think it's done, Biggie lets you in on the postmortem he does with his friends to close out the song. The song is so dope you don't care that he tells the story twice. Once in rhyme, then just pal-ing around with his friends. Also, if Fat Joe is to be believed, the story is a true one.
Song/Rank:
#6- "Going Back to Cali" [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
I assume my dad would like this song if I forced him to listen to it since it's got the amazing Zapp & Roger sample! I like it because of the great sample and my choice to believe it is a 2 Pac diss. I'm all about people taking verbal shots at each other. For obvious reasons, the verbal sparring between Pac and Biggie shouldn't get too much praise, but... come on! Two of the best to do it going back and forth is entertaining in a vacuum.
Song/Rank:
#5- "Hypnotize" [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
This might be the first Biggie song I heard that made me think I liked him. I remember defending the lyrics while people at my basketball camp were making fun of them. The anger I felt while they belittled Christopher Wallace must have meant something. The video for this song also helped! Man! Bad Boy spared no expense on these videos.
Song/Rank:
#4- "Mo Money Mo Problems" (ft. Ma$e & Puff Daddy) [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
This was my favourite song in the world for a stretch. I think there was a time where I thought, "IT SIMPLY CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS!" Then I grew up. But, it got its hooks in me early enough that, I'll never be able to hear that Diana Ross sample without getting excited! It's also one of the first straight up Hip Hop songs I memorized... or at least knew enough words for that I could just mumble the parts I didn't know and I still sounded like I knew the whole thing. I will say, though, that the video ruins the momentum of the song even though it has some funny bits.
Song/Rank:
#3- "Gimmie The Loot" [Ready to Die 1994]
Reason Why:
This song features, technically, some of the best song writing for Biggie. The way he is able to switch back and forth between characters made some people think it must have been someone else on the track. To be fair, I'm an unabashed fan of multiple characters on a song; not just multiple rappers. Again, the beat doesn't try to hard since Biggie is there to fill in all the spaces with the way his words rattle off!
Song/Rank:
#2- "Kick in the Door" [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
If it isn't clear by now, the marriage of Biggies cadence and words with the beat is what creates music that endures well beyond his death. That may seem obvious, until you actually sit down and listen to the way Biggie sounds perfect for the beat and the other way around. This song is one such example of how that works. Biggie feels like another instrument on this beat. The song is worthy of dissecting to see how an excellent rap song is made.
Song/Rank:
#1- "What's Beef" [Life After Death 1997]
Reason Why:
It's hard to pick the best Biggie song. Here we are though. At number one. I loved the strings and horns during the intro of the song but also love the multiple flows Biggie uses throughout the song. This has got to be the coolest Biggie has sounded on a track. He even starts his verse in earnest by fake laughing to set up his flow. There is scholarly tone he has on this track where you feel he's really imparting wisdom on how to know if you may, in fact, be involved in beef! I'd argue this is Biggie at his most in control on a song. Doing some really intricate stuff and making it seem effortless.
-YG