Prior to his death in 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. laid down a few bars during a freestyle with DJ Enuff at D&D Studios, keeping his raps centered on Pepsi cola. "Big slam, quick slam, tin can, whatever, whether too cold or too hot, you got to keep Pepsi in the freezer," raps Biggie, his signature flow in full effect. "I keep a 3 liter for my crew / My girl like them diet joints too/ for when she watch her weight, crack the top I can't wait / Other sodas taste the worst -- I don't even converse."
Des Willie/Redferns/Getty Images
With his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame imminent, Pepsi has decided to immortalize the rapper's freestyle, bringing it to life with a crisp and nostalgic animated video. Together with former Biggie collaborators Enuff and Cey Adam (who worked on Big's art direction), Pepsi helped remaster the track for the occasion. "Welcoming Notorious B.I.G. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a remastered release of his one-of-a-kind Pepsi freestyle from 1997," reads the caption on the YouTube video. "Animations by Antnamation."
In all honesty, it's rare that product placement sounds this hard. While it's likely that longtime Biggie fans have already heard this one, it's still exciting to see Pepsi step up and highlight the legendary rapper in a major way. Check out the clip below, which features no shortage of imagery from Biggie's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, seeped in old-school hip-hop flavor. Rest in peace to a legend.