There's no doubt that The Notorious B.I.G. made one of the most lauded and beloved hip-hop albums of all time with Ready to Die. It's a pure masterclass in East Coast hip-hop, flows, and production choices. Even though it was released back in 1994, it still sounds quite timeless, which is just another reason why its regarded as a true classic. You could poo-poo this fact, but the album has also been quite successful during the streaming era. It's got well over a few billion streams overall with iconic tracks such as "Gimme the Loot", "Juicy", "Warning", "Big Poppa", all over 100 million plays. Over the years, Ready to Die has received a handful of remasters both in 2005 and 2015, respectively. Interestingly, though, his debut project has never received a unique anniversary edition. Life After Death received one for its 25th back in 2022, but now it's Ready to Die's time.
Back in July, multiple reports, including one from Yahoo!, revealed that a special 30th anniversary copy would be released on the 13th of September, the drop date for the original back in '94. It will be a "limited-edition 2-LP reissue" and "will feature a reimagined cover art featuring a photo of Biggie Smalls, the late Brooklyn rapper’s G subway stop and the Brooklyn Bridge". There will be a black vinyl available on Rhino which is Biggie's website. Additionally, "Barnes & Noble will also have a color vinyl edition for sale on the same day". But before that happens, his estate has released an EP called Ready To Die: For The Respect, which features six tracks from the original.
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Ready To Die: For The Respect - The Notorious B.I.G.
Ready To Die: For The Respect Tracklist:
- Intro
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Ready to Die
- Things Done Changed
- Respect
- Who Shot Ya
