Ready to Die

1994The Notorious B.I.G.Bad Boy Entertainment The Golden Age Brooklyn

Music videoThe Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa (Official Music Video)

Music videos Official videos via YouTube

The Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa (Official Music Video)

The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy (Official Video) [4K]

The Notorious B.I.G. - Warning (Official Music Video)

The Notorious B.I.G. - One More Chance (Official Music Video)

Own the record

The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die 2LP Vinyl Record Bad Boy Records Rap/Hip HopNew · Buy It Now$25.00
The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die VMP Essentials 12" LP RED WHITE SWIRL VG+++Used · Buy It Now$83.00
The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie (Ready to Die) Artist Print 43/100New · Buy It Now$150
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die [New CD] Explicit, With DVD, Rmst, ReissueBrand New · Buy It Now$15.65

See all on eBay →

Ready to Die is the debut album by The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994 by Bad Boy Records. It revived East Coast hip hop and showcased one of the most gifted storytellers the genre has produced.

The story

The album came together in two phases between December 1993 and June 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York. Darker early songs like “Gimme the Loot” were followed by polished radio records cut after Sean “Puffy” Combs launched Bad Boy. The singles “Juicy,” “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance” made Biggie a star.

Sound and production

Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, Poke and Rashad Smith produced, with Combs as executive producer. “Juicy” is built on Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit,” “Big Poppa” samples the Isley Brothers’ “Between the Sheets,” and Method Man guests on “The What.”

Charts and certifications

Ready to Die peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. The RIAA certified it 6× Platinum in 2018.

Legacy

The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2024, and Rolling Stone ranked it No. 22 on its 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Tracklist & credits

1
IntroProd. Sean "Puffy" Combs
3:24
2
Things Done ChangedProd. Darnell Scott
3:57
3
Gimme The LootProd. Easy Mo Bee
5:04
4
Machine Gun FunkProd. Easy Mo Bee
4:16
5
WarningProd. Easy Mo Bee
3:40
6
Ready To DieProd. Easy Mo Bee
4:24
7
One More ChanceProd. Digga, Norman, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Bluez Brothers, Carl "Chucky" Thompson
4:43
8
Fuck Me (Interlude)Prod. Sean "Puffy" Combs
1:31
9
The WhatProd. Easy Mo Bee
3:57
10
JuicyProd. Jean "Poke" Oliver, Sean "Puffy" Combs
5:03
11
Everyday StruggleProd. Digga, Norman, Bluez Brothers
5:19
12
Me & My BitchProd. Digga, Norman, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Bluez Brothers, Carl "Chucky" Thompson
4:00
13
Big PoppaProd. Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Sean "Puffy" Combs
4:13
14
RespectProd. Jean "Poke" Oliver, Sean "Puffy" Combs
5:22
15
Friend Of MineProd. Easy Mo Bee
3:28
16
UnbelievableProd. DJ Premier
3:43
17
Suicidal ThoughtsProd. Lord Finesse
2:54

Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.

Made with

The gear behind this record, sourced and for sale.

Reported

E-mu SP-1200

Drums & sampling (Easy Mo Bee tracks) · Source

See all on eBay →

Know the mic, board or other gear?

Add a credit with a source link. Every submission is reviewed before it goes live.