Q-Tip x Biggie Smalls?

It almost happened. Tip tells the story about how he was thiiiiiiiis close to getting a track on Big's last album, Life After Death. Man, that would have been historic. R.I.P.

MISS MONDAYS.

Lil' Kim (ft. Lil Cease & Notorious B.I.G.) - "Crush On You"

Mondays are all about the ladies around these parts. Here's a classic from the first lady of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. featuring Lil Cease and Biggie Smalls on the hook. Lil' Kim single handily took wigs to the next level in this video.

Biggie & Co. @ The Hit Factory.

Rare footage of Biggie Smalls, Puff, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Naughty By Nature, and Onyx having a photo session at the Hit Factory circa 1994. This is dope. Big's rocking a Karl Kani hoody, Sticky Fingaz is rolling a blunt, and Puff is barking orders. Classic.

Draze - "The Notorious, Life After Death"

Draze salutes Brooklyn's finest with a Mixtape Movie in which Draze steps into the role of Christopher Wallace and tells his story from a first person narrative. It's actually well done, and perfect for today.

Every year at this time, the hip hop community takes a moment to commemorate the life, the genius, and the legacy of the Notorious BIG. This year, in honor of the late great emcee, Draze salutes Brooklyn’s finest with a Mixtape Movie titled, “The Notorious, Life after Death” featuring DJ B Mello.In his own words Draze says, ”

I’ve always been a Biggie fan, so this was my way of paying homage. I tried to channel his energy as best I could. The greatest honor for me was hearing someone say it was even half way believable.”

Shout out to E-Dub for the heads up.

Top 10 Biggie Videos Of All Time.

In tribute, I wanted to run down my favorite videos from the late great Christopher Wallace. He essentially took rap music videos to the next level, to a point where they started to get mainstream play on a channel that wasn't fucking with rap music (MTV). There's no question that his music videos changed the game, and influenced countless rappers (for better and for worse). With that being said, here is my list of the great V.I.D.E.O.S. from B.I.G.....and don't worry, I'm a certified Biggie Smalls expert. You can check the credentials.



10. CAN'T YOU SEE

We set it off with Total's song featuring Biggie. The video was directed by Hype Williams, who has mastered the use of flashing lights in his video, long before Kanye thought of it. Big also happens to drop one of the sickest lines in his arsenal on this one:

"My raps lines is like land mines,
One step...KABOOM...black suits fill the room."




9. PLAYA'S ANTHEM

The Junior M.A.F.I.A. steps in at #9....I know, this countdown is going to be thick. And why is everyone in this video wearing leather jackets?




8. GET MONEY

Back to back Junior M.A.F.I.A. In this one, Biggie takes shots at his wifey, Faith Evans, in this classic Hype Williams video. So why is this number 8, you ask? The videos losses points for the buff dudes with no shirts feeding grapes to Lil Kim and Salt N Pepa. I imagine Puff let that fly...





7. FLAVA IN YA EAR (REMIX)

Arguably, one of the greatest remixes of all time, and the way Big sets it off is unmistakable. I remember the first time I heard his verse, I rewinded that shit like 6 times in a row. I never made it to Craig Mack's verse. Sorry, Craig. Black and white videos are always dope, and this one is iconic. Biggie with the extreme close up. Puffy with the "Warriors" reference. LL Cool J with one pant leg rolled up. And possibly, the last time anyone ever heard from Rampage.




6. SKY'S THE LIMIT

Biggie's most uplifting song, and one of the most creative concepts for a music video (courtesy of Spike Jonze). Biggie had passed away, so they decided to have Biggie and all his friends portrayed by kids. The concept matches the message behind the song so perfectly. This is one of the most underrated music videos of all time. And the young version of Busta Rhymes is hilarious.




5. WARNING

Big shows off his storytelling prowess in this one, as he tells an intricate and paranoia-filled tale of a phone conversation he had about people trying to kill him. Classic. Any time you hear this beat drop, you automatically begin to chant, "Who the fuck is this...pagin me at 5:46 in the morning, crack-a-dawnin'"




4. ONE MORE CHANCE (REMIX)

Biggie links up with his wifey, Faith Evans for this classic that had all the ladies begging for another change. Biggie took his player image to the next level in this, and the image of him in the Kangol hat and Versace glasses might be his most memorable and iconic. The cameos are thick in this one, from Mary J. Blige to Heavy D.





3. JUICY

It's the video that introduced the Notorious B.I.G. to the masses and told the story of how he went from ashy to classy. This is probably my favorite Biggie song of all time, and one of the best feel good rap songs in history. Every time I hear it, it puts me in a great mood. And if ya dont know, now you know...




2. BIG POPPA

It's Biggie's personal anthem, and another hype williams classic. This is the video that made you wanna throw your hands in the air...and essentially mad slow motion a staple in every rap video ever.




1. HYPNOTIZE

It's one of the biggest hip-hop videos of all time. It had it all: a big budget, million dollar yachts, dancing honeys, and even a car chase in reverse. It was the last video biggie ever shot, and it goes down in history as his best.

Rest In Peace.

DJ Drama & Cookin' Soul Present The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute [MIXTAPE]

In “The NOTORIOUS BIG Tribute” superproducers and remixers Cookin’ Soul flip the original samples used in Biggie’s classic albums “Ready to Die” and “Life After Death” into new beats and feature original appearances from a whole range of well known artists paying their respects doing what they do best, in a celebration of the late great rapper musical legacy.

[DOWNLOAD: DJ Drama & Cookin' Soul Present The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute]
(download will start after clicking)

R.I.P. Biggie Smalls

(May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)

...Today is the 12th anniversary of the passing of the King of New York, The Notorious B.I.G. Personally, Christopher Wallce was one of the greatest to ever do it, so we're gonna pay tribute to him here today with a couple of Biggie posts. I mean, I named this blog after him, it's only right.

He blessed the world with some of the greatest hip hop songs of our generation, and sadly, one of the greatest funeral procession of all time too. We'll always love Big Poppa.

First thing's first, I Poppa...

Here's an ill throwback of Biggie Smalls performing "One More Chance" live at the Apollo circa 1995. Class-sick. You also get to see Puff rocking a silk shirt and doing the Diddy bop. That's always worth the price of admission. Below, you get another video of Big and Junior Mafia rocking "Playa's Anthem." And no, Lil Cease isn't being played by a 12 year old kid. And yes, Lil' Kim manages to keep her titties in her shirt.



Both videos courtesy of The Meaning of Dope.

[VIDEO] Jadakiss - Letter to B.I.G. (ft. Faith Evans)

Biggie Day.

Since Notorious hits theaters today, I wanted to throw together a dope little B-I-G, P-O, S-T. We got a little of everything, some interviews, some mixtapes, some music videos. It's like a BIG grab bag full of gems. Act like you know. Above is a rare interview Big did in 1994 after Ready To Die drops. He also happens to be wearing Indiana Jones' hat, so there's that.

But wait, there's more! Act now and you can have the following mixtapes...

DJ Mike Nice - Brooklyn Bullshit

DJ Mike Nice releases possibly one of the most monumental mixtapes in years. When he says he is “The King Of Da Crates” he means it. This one includes rarity after rarity including Biggie rapping at age 12, Jay-Z at 17, and numerous Big Daddy Kane demo’s and too much more. The rare, unreleased exclusivity of this tape is truly something to be impressed by.

DOWNLOAD HERE.



DJ Semi & DJ KG - Forever

DJ Semi teams up with DJ KG for this Notorious B.I.G. blend tape that I promise you won’t be disappointed with.

DOWNLOAD HERE.




Still not satisfied? About some videos? You want videos? We got videos!

Notorious B.I.G. - "Warning"


Notorious B.I.G. - "One More Chance (Remix)



Biggie and Method Man - "The What" [LIVE]


...and last but not least...two Biggie remixes from Astronote. One features Talib Kweli, the other featuring Buff1 .

DOWNLOAD: Notorious B.I.G. - Young G’s [Astronote Remix] (Ft. Talib Kweli)
DOWNLOAD: Notorious B.I.G. - Niggas [Astronote Remix] (Ft. Buff1)

And if ya don't know, now you know...

1000.

"It was all a dream..."

This is my 1000th post. When I first started this blog, I didn't know if I would last past 10 posts. Now I'm sitting on a grand. Not to divert the attention towards me, because this blog is about the music and culture of hip-hop, but I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment. I've met a ton of dope people through these here posts, and formed a collection of like-minded hip-hop fans (FCC) dedicated to bringing you that Freshness on a daily basis. Thank you to all of you who read this blog on a daily basis, or those who just check it out periodically. It would be nothing without you.

In commemoration, check out the my all-time feel good song. And since this in the Notorious B.L.O.G. it would only be right for it to come from Christopher Wallace himself....it's all good, baby baaabyyy.


The Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"

[VIDEO] Jadakiss (ft. Faith Evans) - "Letter to B.I.G."

Here's the video for Jada's letter to his big homie (which features nothing but footage from the upcoming Biggie biopic). This joint appears on the Notorious soundtrack, which hits stores tomorrow. The movie hits big screens Friday. It's gonna be a B.I.G. weekend.

Sampology: The Notorious Chapter

DJ Parler continues his SAMPOLOGY series with a mixtape dedicated to The Notorious B.I.G. Inspired by the upcoming biopic & in commemoration of the B.I.G. legacy, this is a compilation of music & the original songs that inspired them. Connecting the dots between your favorite Hip Hop/R&B tracks and the classic hard-to-find gems, each chapter highlights a select artist, producer or genre. Past chapters include: J Dilla, Kanye West, Philly International Records, Jay-Z's American Gangster Soundtrack, and Isaac Hayes. I know you're gonna dig this...

DOWNLOAD HERE.

Tracklist

Brooklyn Intro
Victory Blend - Diddy, Bill Conti, B.I.G.
Unbelievable Blend - Honey Drippers, B.I.G.
Kick In The Door Blend - B.I.G., Screamin Jay Hawkins
Juicy Blend - B.I.G., Mtume
Big Poppa Blend - The Isley Brothers, B.I.G.
Ghetto Red Hot Blend - Super Cat, B.I.G., Herbie Hancock
Me and My Bitch Blend - B.I.G., Zapp & Roger
Who Shot Ya Blend - B.I.G., David Porter, Mos Def
Dreams Blend - B.I.G., James Brown, Skillz
Hypnotize Blend - B.I.G., Herb Alpert
Brooklyn's Finest Blend - Jay-Z, B.I.G., Ohio Players
Get Money Blend - Junior MAFIA, B.I.G., Sylvia Striplin
Gettin' Money Blend - Junior MAFIA, B.I.G., Dennis Edwards
Players Anthem Blend - Junior MAFIA, B.I.G., New Birth
Crush On You Blend - Lil Kim, B.I.G., Jeff Lorber Fusion
The Benjamins Blend - Diddy, B.I.G., The Jacksons
Can't You See Blend - Total, B.I.G., James Brown
One More Chance Blend - B.I.G., DeBarge
Ten Crack Commandments Blend - B.I.G., Les McCann
Sky Is The Limit Blend - B.I.G., Bobby Caldwell
Outro (St James Pl & Fulton St) - Roy Ayers, B.I.G.

Biggie Demo Tracks.

This needs absolutely no introduction. Here are 2 tracks from Biggie's original demo before he signed to Bad Bay. I know some of you might have heard these before (I know I did), but these are better quality and dowloadable for your iPod pleasure. They both appear on the upcoming Notorious movie soundtrack, which drops next Tuesday. Movie hits the B.I.G. screen January 16th. I'm ready to die.

The "Microphone Murderer" track is over the same sample that Kane used for "Aint No Half Steppin." "Guaranteed Raw" sounds like the skeleton beat for "Gimme The Loot"

DOWNLOAD: Notorious B.I.G. - "Microphone Murderer"
DOWNLOAD: Notorious B.I.G. - "Guaranteed Raw"

Courtesy of X.

The Notorious B.I.G. - "Unbelievable" (Live)

If this won't brighten my day, nothing will. Here is some rare live Biggie footage from 1994 where Big Poppa goes over Mad Lion's classic "Take It Easy" instrumental. (What ever happened to that guy?)

Biggie Smalls is the illest.

The Story Behind Biggie's "Hypnotize"

D-Dot, the producer behind Biggie Smalls most banginest track of all time, "Hypnotize" talks about the making of the song. From the upcoming Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon DVD, which drops January 27th.

Ha, yo, sicker than yo' average...

Notorious Movie is Diddy Approved.

This is probably really good news. Because I can't front, when I first heard about this movie I was highly skeptical - at best. It seemed like a worse idea than asking Michael Jackson to babysit. Biggie has always been one of my favorite emcees of all time, and essentially, bigger than life. I just assumed you couldn't do Big justice on the Big screen. When they cast an unknown rapper named Gravy to play Biggie, I was skeptical. When they cast a 12 year old as Lil Cease, I was skeptical. When they released the teaser, I was skeptical (Notice how they didn't show ANY acting). But as the reviews started rolling in, I became less and less terrified. People actually liked it. They thought Gravy had Big's nuisances down. They thought it was a good movie. And now this...

Puff Daddy recently told MTV, "truth be told, I was blown away by the movie. I was entertained by the movie. The movie is what was happening. Can't no critics speak on it. I'm telling you, that's my life right there. That's what it was. That's what was happening."

Now he could just be saying that because he's an ego-maniac, and loved seeing himself portrayed on the silver screen. But he was also Biggie's best friend, and if anyone has the right to shit on this movie, it's Puff. Something tells me he's being honest.

"At the end of the movie, it messed me up," Diddy said. "I was messed up for two weeks. It made you miss him in the right way. It made you count your blessings. It's definitely a tear-jerker. It's definitely a movie you're gonna be dancing in, crying in, you're gonna love it. You're gonna wanna see it again."

I'm actually excited to see it now. I'm still curbing my expectations, but I'm definitely going to see it and hope for the best. At least nd you know the soundtrack will be banging. Notorious hits theaters on January 16.

Take that, take that, take that.

Biggie Smalls and J Dilla Collab?

It almost happened. Watch this video. Right now. Hear it straight from Frank (Frank N’ Dank) and J Dilla as they tell tales of meeting Q-Tip for the first time, fist fights over S950 vs ASR-10 capabilities, and a rare studio session with Notorious B.I.G. that was supposed to feature Busta, but the original never saw the light of day. The verse was later re-used on Biggie's posthumous album, Born Again, for the song Dangerous MC's which was produced by Nottz. Well guess what, I found the song.

It's sad to see Dilla in a wheelchair, but this is still a very important piece of footage. Shout out to FWMJ for the videos. Download the rare original version of the track and then thank the heavens above.

DOWNLOAD: The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes - "Modern Day Gangsters" (Prod by. Jay Dee)

Biggie Smalls on Martin.

All the way live from 1995. The homie Buddy put me on to this classic episode of Martin starring the late great Biggie Smalls. I barely remember seeing this back in the day. But damn, does it bring back memories. We need more rappers on sitcoms.

So the premise of the as follows: Biggie is in town for a concert, and he's looking for back up singers to go on tour with him. He holds an audition and hilarity ensues. And dsince he's The Notorious B.I.G., he's too famous to stay at a regular hotel, so he stays at Martin's crib while he's in town to avoid the mob of fans. Again, hilarity ensues. Big is a decent actor too. Way better than Bow Wow.

Part 2


Part 3

The Notorious B.I.G. - "Warning" (Live)

From the upcoming documentary, Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon, due out January 27. Biggie Smalls is the illest.