r/hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #79: The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die - HipHop | HipHop Channel

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r/hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #79: The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die - HipHop

r/hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #79: The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die - HipHop

r/hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #79: The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

Posted: 01 Feb 2017 08:01 AM PST

Welcome to the new and improved Essential Album of the Week discussion thread!

Every Wednesday we will discuss an album from our Essential Albums list

Last Week: Nas - Illmatic

This Week: Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die

Stream/Purchase

Spotify

iTunes

Google Play

Songs/Singles

One More Chance

Juicy

Big Poppa

Background/Description (courtesy of allmusic.com)

The album that reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta age, Ready to Die made the Notorious B.I.G. a star, and vaulted Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy label into the spotlight as well. Today it's recognized as one of the greatest hardcore rap albums ever recorded, and that's mostly due to Biggie's skill as a storyteller. His raps are easy to understand, but his skills are hardly lacking -- he has a loose, easy flow and a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession. He's blessed with a flair for the dramatic, and slips in and out of different contradictory characters with ease. Yet, no matter how much he heightens things for effect, it's always easy to see elements of Biggie in his narrators and of his own experience in the details; everything is firmly rooted in reality, but plays like scenes from a movie. A sense of doom pervades his most involved stories: fierce bandits ("Gimme the Loot"), a hustler's beloved girlfriend ("Me & My Bitch"), and robbers out for Biggie's newfound riches ("Warning") all die in hails of gunfire. The album is also sprinkled with reflections on the soul-draining bleakness of the streets -- "Things Done Changed," "Ready to Die," and "Everyday Struggle" are powerfully affecting in their confusion and despair. Not everything is so dark, though; Combs' production collaborations result in some upbeat, commercial moments, and typically cop from recognizable hits: the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" on the graphic sex rap "One More Chance," Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" on the rags-to-riches chronicle "Juicy," and the Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets" on the overweight-lover anthem "Big Poppa." Producer Easy Mo Bee's deliberate beats do get a little samey, but it hardly matters: this is Biggie's show, and by the time "Suicidal Thoughts" closes the album on a heartbreaking note, it's clear why he was so revered even prior to his death.

Guidelines

This is an open thread for you to share your thoughts on the album. Avoid vague statements of praise or criticism. This is your chance to practice being a critic. It's fine for you to drop by just to say you love the album, but let's try and step it up a bit!!!

How has this album affected hip-hop? WHY do you like this tape? What are the best tracks? Do you think it deserves the praise it gets? Is it the first time you've listened to it? What's your first impression? Have you listened to the artist before? Explain why you like it or why you don't.

DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT BEING LATE !!!! Discussion throughout the week is encouraged.

Next week's EAOTW will be Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

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So my philosophy teacher is Big Sean's old middle school teacher. He shared with us this video of him in a play that nobody has really seen.

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Daily Discussion Thread 02/01/2017

Posted: 01 Feb 2017 01:17 PM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

  • If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

Other ways to interact

There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:

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[DISCUSSION] Bryson Tiller TRAPSOUL Theory

Posted: 01 Feb 2017 04:55 PM PST

TL;DR at bottom

In honor of his Grammy nomination (and in anticipation of his Grammy win), I wanted to write up a fan theory I've been thinking about for a little bit about Bryson Tiller's TRAPSOUL.

As I thought more about this album as a whole, I found multiple clues that lead me to believe that this album follows the course of a relationship that Tiller had with a woman. I'm going to first break it down song-by-song, and then bring it all together in the end.

  1. Intro (difference): this track is Bryson's first interaction with the girl. Also introduces the "page turning" sound that will re-appear at the end of the album. Note the use of "with me it's different", which leads me to believe that the album is a sort of loop. Bryson is essentially saying that it will be different this time.

  2. Let 'em Know: this track is sort of a bridge between him actually in the relationship and the first time they talk. They are clearly flirting back and forth (already got someone that's what you tell them every time). Bryson might have known this woman for a while (spent a lot of time on the waiting list).

  3. Exchange: Bryson actually asking the girl out. He explains his feelings (this what happens when I think about you). You do have to notice that there are references to "used to", but I don't think that completely dispels the theory quite yet.

  4. For However Long: this song shows the "honeymoon phase" of the relationship. Short and sweet, with a sprawling soundscape, shows the initial happiness of the couple, no matter how short it is.

  5. Don't: At this point, the honeymoon has worn off, and Bryson's mind wanders a little. This could also be a way of showing that the couple is talking about more serious issues in the past, and that the woman has a distrust of men (do all I can just to show you you're special). This signifies the first slow/feelings song on the album

  6. Open interlude: this interlude represents a medium-long insignificant portion of the relationship. "News the time to just clear the air" shows the renewed commitment between the couple.

  7. Ten Nine Fourteen: Here, Bryson's flow and tone get a little more serious. In my theory, this is when rap comes into the scene. Even if it isn't rap, something is eating at Pen Griffey. Whatever it is, it's pulling focus from his relationship.

  8. The Sequence: His relationship comes back on the scene. The sequence shows the struggle that his relationship is going through, with fights breaking out constantly. Bryson begins to question his own role in the relationship, "am i asking for too much?"

  9. Rambo: now, his focus is 100% on the rap game. He is fighting hard to make it to the top, and he's relentlessly pursuing his career. He has no time to think about girls "tell Steve don't let no more bitches in the hotel"

  10. 502 Come up: He is beginning to see his dreams come true. Bryson is breaking into the rockstar lifestyle, "woke up in heels this morning" however, no mention of his girl.

  11. Sorry not sorry: Bryson made it. He is happy he's there, and he can finally be himself (note risky video game sample). However, this happiness doesn't come without a cost...

  12. Been that way: Bryson and his girl have become distant. Suddenly, he realizes he has to work hard to save her from leaving him. "What's gotten into me what's changed?" Will it be too late? Also: note the sudden halt from anthems to slow songs.

  13. Overtime: This one is fairly straightforward. He begins to work extra hard at the relationship, putting in "overtime", to try to save her from leaving. "I've been working for it"

  14. Right my Wrongs: There's a ton to dissect here: first, the hook, "could it be you, calling me down" is reminiscent of the grief and loneliness he is already feeling. He doesn't feel that this is the right time to break up, but she does. He wants to right his wrongs, just as he tried to on "Overtime", but it's too late. Here, the cyclical nature really takes hold. "All the things that you went through, I never meant to put you through them twice", could refer to Don't. He promised to care for her, but she got "fucked over" by him as well. "Something that I should know", shows the communication loss that has occurred between him and his girl, through his attachment to the rap game. Finally, at the very end, you hear a book of some sort, flipping its pages. I have always thought that this is the "story" of that relationship. This also ties back to the beginning of the album, which was the first time you heard that sound.

Conclusion:

Bryson tiller has constructed a masterpiece of modern R&B, and I commend him for it greatly. I believe that this album was made to be cyclical, with the same beginning and end, as well as his turn from "do all I can just to show you you're special" to "all the things that you went through, girl I never meant to put you through it twice".

Let me know what you guys think of my theory, this is my first time writing something like this up, so if there's a glaring oversight let me know.

TL;DR: TRAPSOUL is about a relationship that Bryson went through. He argues that relationships are cyclical, and that losing your focus can mean the end of your time with a woman.

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