The Notorious B.I.G Stayed War Ready On "Warning"

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RIP Biggie.

Many have tried to imitate him, and replicate his style but there's only one B.I.G. He remains one of the greatest rappers to ever touch the mic, if not the greatest, and that's largely off of the strength of his debut album, Ready To Die. The 1994 release was the only album that he dropped during his lifetime, as Life After Death came a few weeks after his death on March 9th, 1997.

Today marks 25-years since the rapper's passing and the limited catalog from the Brooklyn-bred MC proved to be nothing short of timeless. "Warning" showcased Big's mastery in his cinematic pen, painting a picture of a top dog with money on his head. The wake-up call from Pop from the barbershop at 5:46 in the morning leads to the unfolding of a ploy to rob Biggie Smalls due to his growing profile. War-ready, Biggie prepares with Rottweilers at the door and guns drawn as they come for his head. 

From Biggie's rhyme structure, to his conversational approach to the record, "Warning" remains an exceptional reminder of the legacy he left in hip-hop within a short time.

R.I.P. Biggie.

Quotable Lyrics
Call the coroner
There's gonna be a lot of slow singin' and flower-bringin'
If my burglar alarm starts ringin'
What ya think all the guns is for?
All-purpose war, got the Rottweilers by the door
And I feed 'em gunpowder so they can devour
The criminals tryin' to drop my decimals


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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