THE NOTORIOUS BIG Vinyl & CDs

Review: Yikes, it's the 30th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s iconic album Ready to Die already. To mark the occasion it gets a special double gatefold and coloured vinyl repress and what hip-hop album is more deserving? Its initial release marked a pivotal moment in hip-hop history and introduced the world to Biggie's gritty storytelling, unique flow, and larger-than-life persona. Tracks like 'Juicy' and 'Big Poppa' became timeless classics that influenced generations of artists. The anniversary is not just a celebration of the album's success, but a tribute to Biggie's enduring legacy and listening back now to him, capturing the raw essence of struggle, fame, and survival in urban America is still as fantastic as ever.

Review: The 30th Anniversary Edition of The Notorious B.I.G.'s seminal debut album Ready to Die arrives with a desirable vinyl release that celebrates the milestone of this iconic record. Released initially in 1994, the album is a cornerstone of East Coast hip-hop and cemented Biggie Smalls as a pivotal figure in the genre. This special edition breathes new life into classic tracks like 'Juicy,' 'Big Poppa,' and 'One More Chance,' thanks to meticulous remastering that enhances the raw energy and lyrical brilliance of Biggie's original recording. This album leads the way with the gritty sound of 90s hip-hop. The packaging is equally impressive, featuring updated artwork and liner notes that provide fresh insights into the making of the album and its impact on music culture. This 30th Anniversary Edition is more than just a reissueiit's a celebration of an album that continues to influence and resonate.

Review: Decades after he died, pioneering rapper Christopher Wallace aka Biggie aka B.I.G remains a hip hop giant, not least for us here at Juno HQ. He had the flow, the character, the lyrics, and showed all of it on his masterclass album The Notorious BIG. It is now getting a well deserved reissue on double vinyl, with all the original tunes included. There are uber-hits like the ubiquitous 'Juicy', tracks that make astute social commentaries about the black experience such as 'Everyday Struggle' and then some darn right killer grooves like 'One More Chance' and 'Big Poppa.' RIP to the greatest to ever do it.

Review: Now here's a real slice of East Coast hip-hop history, packaged for those Londonites who - even as far back as the early to mid 90s - felt the genre's magnanimous influence deeply, despite the transatlantic journey required of its promotion outside the USA. Existing only so far perhaps on bootlegged white label vinyl marked "Import" in big block lettering, this mythical live recording of The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1995 performance at the Hammersmith Palais in London (as part of Tim Westwood's 1FM Rap Show Launch Party) otherwise floats the interwebs either in casual YouTube video or cassette rip format. Clocking in at just over 50 minutes, Big Poppa's tragic ghost sounds to haunt the record, masterfully moving through his most hard-boiled, ironed songs in quick sixteen-track succession, chopping and changing between them through the adeptest of DJ scratchups; the hypiest, airhorn-blariest transitions. All Biggie's greatest hits feature (he'd released most of his chart-toppers by 1995; this recording was made two years before he died) and the heavy douse of reverb, supplied by the venue, lends an extra historic gravitas to Smalls' not-so-small voice. The acapella at the end is an especially grave, hushed moment; it's as if the lack of instrumental backing portends the many moments of silence that would follow two years later.