Hagiography has always been paramount to hip-hop. But what do you call death wish autobiography? Never before has a rapper been so knowing about the evil that men do, reveled in it, then ultimately lamented his mistakes to a fatal end. Across 17 tracks — this album revolutionized much, including the unfortunate notion of bloat on rap albums — we see a life lived in desperation, marked by fear, violence, glee and success. On just the first song, simply called "Intro," we hear Biggie Smalls born, witness his parents tear each other apart, plan and execute a heist, and ultimately exit prison. From there, a journey into crime verityé and open-hearted desire. Working with his ascendant mentor and label chief, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Biggie used his globular, bellowing voice and needle-in-the-hay specificity to create a chilling portrait of drugs and death.

The front end of the album is nearly all tension and force. "Gimme The Loot" is a tete-a-tete featuring two robbers, one high-pitched and twitchy, the other sage and deep-toned. Biggie plays both, a fact that at the time of release stunned listeners, flashing a sense of structure and arc rarely heard. Much of this comes with the simultaneously… read more »