I remember twenty years ago this day. I woke up at my Grandmother’s house to the sound of my Aunt Priscilla crying hysterically, screaming “I cant believe it, this can’t be real.” I fell asleep in front of the entertainment system the night before, so the first sight of March 9th 1997 was a side profile picture of Christopher Wallace with the numbers under the picture (1972-1997) I remember calculating the numbers to sum he was 25 years old at that moment, later to find out his birthday was May 21 and he was actually 24.
Its twenty years old and the most recent memory I have as a Notorious fan, was an artist under the age of 24 calling this pioneer “overrated”
I didn’t come to defend Mr. Wallace’s permanent position at the top of hip hop, top 3 top 5 dead or alive, wherever he may be placed.
What I did come to do is just pay my respect to a person who reminds me of myself as a lyricist. An artist who made street corner poetry with a smooth cadence that never was broken by a changed subject.
In the earlier years of my ilfe, I didn’t listen to “Ready to Die” biggie. I listened to “Big Poppa, One More Chance, Juicy,” you know, the songs that were commercialized and a breath of fresh air for the older generation who needed something to help cope with this drug infested era of the 90s and the effects on the community.
It was around the time of his death he resurfaced with a higher tempo track called “Hypnotize.” which was the single for his upcoming album coincidentally titled “Life After Death.”
At that time, I didn’t understand the process of recording and was like wow, “he’s releasing a CD after he died, this is amazing”
I was eight years old, sadly to say.. This attracted me to the Notorious one as an artist. The rapper who went head to head with Tupac Shakur died and released an album after his death, called Life After Death.
Next clear thing I can actually remember is my Godfather visiting from Maryland, asking my father did he hear about the new “biggie album” It hadn’t been released yet but the reviews were out of course because this the biggest promotion an album could get at the time. You know, “dead rappers get better promotion.”
My dad replied and said he hadn’t heard much about it. My Godfather proceeded to tell him “Do Not Let Romelis LISTEN TO IT!”
Man, I didnt even care to listen to him that much before he died and I was recommended to be banned from the new music that would be the last music from him , ever.
Somewhere in the 20s of the march later that month. “Life After Death” releases, do you know I lived in a real “hood” my family came from real struggles. My parents were about the same age I am now, “in the trap.” That being said, do you know Everybody i ever met knew or seen was playing this album. My father was so popular in the community, The whole area knew I wasn’t allowed to listen to this project. They would cut it off as soon as they seen me coming.
But then there was my aunt…
My aunt was Big’s biggest fan that I knew, for sure. She still cries today listening to Ready to Die and the only other rap cd she will ever listen to is the the blueprints by Jay-z. Anyhow, she asked me had i heard the cd yet. I express to her my dad will not let me listen to this cd at all. She said, well when your with me, you’ll be listening to Biggie’s new cd all the time, “He’s dead and thats my boy, your dad wont know nothing if you dont tell him.”
I was still scared so Im just going to play it safe and listen to Bone Thugs n Harmony, nobody understands what their saying anyway.
Did she put in disc 2 and “Lets Ride, and get high” (Notorious Thugs") came on immediately? Yes. I can identify Bizzy Bone’s voice seven miles away in the middle of a thunderstorm. I never had heard biggie rap like this, then Bone came on. Instant favorite song, I then realized sometimes you gotta take a risk and listen to this man, who later became one of the best rappers of all time.
“Armed and Dangerous , aint too many can bang wit us, straight up weed no angel dust, label us, notorious.”
Those words alone stamped my decision that I would also be a great lyricist one day, just like him. Twenty years later I realized man, he was 24 years old. Im 28 years old right now and the youth today don’t have the ruth to be another biggie. That being said, this is why he reamins in the top spots of all time, the style could never be duplicated, though it has been attempted, more than once.
Life After Death changed my life, and I never was supposed to hear it. R.I.P. Chris Wallace “Frank White” you set a standard in New York and them hustlers got hip and got rich behind your blueprint.
You’re a God to the Game hope your resting peacefully in Heaven. Bless.
jacobvanloon
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
izzy806
