For a few weeks now, we’ve been daring to take a look back at musikexpress.de and name ten groundbreaking hip-hop albums from the nineties. Following Eminem’s Slim Shady LP, this time we take a look at The Notorious BIG and his album LIFE AFTER DEATH.
Assassination attempt in Los Angeles
It’s been 25 years since a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles ended the life of one of the most gifted rap artists of our time. Died on March 9, 1997 Christopher Wallace alias The Notorious BIGaged only 24.
Wallace was shot dead as he left the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards celebration. At the time of the attack, he was in the passenger seat of a Chevrolet when another vehicle pulled over and an unidentified person opened fire. Four bullets hit the rapper. He was then taken to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center – and pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. The case is still unsolved.
On March 25th of the same year, his double album LIFE AFTER DEATH was released posthumously. Post on the cover of the album Biggie Smalls in a long black coat and with a black hat. Standing sideways, Wallace looked stoically at the camera with his head slightly bowed while leaning against a hearse that had the license plate “BIG.” The Notorious BIG at his own funeral – both the name LIFE AFTER DEATH and the design of the album seemed extremely macabre against the background of his death a few weeks earlier.
More money, more problems
A few months before that I was tinkering The Notorious BIG. on the second solo album of his career. Three years had passed since his debut READY TO DIE, which thrilled with songs like “Juicy”, “Gimme the Loot” and “Big Poppa”. As a result, Wallace developed into one of the most successful rap artists. But not only his solo career was great. Together with his crew Junior MAFIA and the album CONSPIRACY, Biggie reached gold status in 1995.
Nevertheless, he also had a lot of difficulties. BIG found themselves feuding with musical rivals (including Nas, 2pack, Raekwon) while struggling with his failed marriage to R&B singer Faith Evans. Add to that Big’s trouble with the law over an arrest for marijuana and gun possession. In addition, it was only half a year ago that his Raprivale and archenemy Tupac Shakur died. But that’s not all: Biggie also broke his left leg in a car accident.
Despite all the obstacles, Big began work on LIFE AFTER DEATH. The recording process took 18 months and took place in New York, Los Angeles and Trinidad. Wallace took the necessary time for his new project. After all, the pressure was immense – the good sales figures and reviews of the predecessor had to be confirmed.
And that’s exactly what The Notorious BIG did impressively. The double album, tragically released in Los Angeles 16 days after his assassination, became a box-office hit. Selling 690,000 units in its first week on sale, LIFE AFTER DEATH went to #1 on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. To date, it has sold more than five million copies in the United States alone. With those numbers, Wallace even surpassed the sales mark of Tupac’s nine-time platinum double album, ALL EYEZ ON ME. Furthermore It garnered critical acclaim—like the March 1997 issue of The Source, Biggie received 5/5 mics and posthumously cemented his status as a rap legend.