THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

307-The Notorious B.I.G.-Big Poppa.

1995-Number 63 single.

Best Bit-At 2.38. He was known by many names, including MC West, Biggie, Biggie Smalls, and The Notorious B.I.G., but his mother called him Christopher.

Christopher George Latore Wallace (see also best songs 955) was born on May 21st, 1972, in New York City, United States, he was shot dead on March 9th, 1997, in Los Angeles, California, United States, at the age of 24. Wallace who was nicknamed ‘Big’ at the age of 10 because he was overweight, started rapping as a teenager using his earliest stage name ‘MC CWest.’ At the age of 17 he dropped out of high school and became involved in crime, two years later in 1991 he was arrested for dealing in crack cocaine, and spent nine months in jail. On his release from jail he made a demo tape, calling himself ‘Biggie Smalls,’ alluding to both Calvin Lockhart’s (1934-2007) character in the 1975 American action crime comedy film ‘Let’s Do It Again,’ and to his own stature and obesity. In 1993 he found out that another artist had already claimed that name, so he finally settled on ‘The Notorious B.I.G.’ He explained that the acronym ‘B.I.G.’ stood for ‘Business Instead of Game.’ The demo tape he had made was circulated and eventually came to the attention of Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, (see also best songs 955) who was at that time working with the A&R department of ‘Uptown Records,’ who signed him up.

On March 9th, 1997,The Notorious B.I.G. was in California to promote his new Album ‘Life After Death.’ At 12.45.am, the vehicle he was travelling in stopped at a red light where a black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside. The Impala’s driver rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at ‘Biggie’s’ car. Four bullets hit him, and he was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1.15.am, no one has ever been arrested for the murder. The Notorious B.I.G. is considered by many music critics to be the number 1 ‘Rapper’ of all time. The American music magazine ‘The Source’ named him ‘The greatest rapper of all time,’ in its 150th issue in March 2002, ‘MTV’ ranked him number 3 on their 2006 list of The Greatest MC’s of All Time, calling him potentially ‘The most skillful ever on the mic,’ Rolling Stone magazine hailed him as the ‘Greatest rapper that ever lived,’ and in 2015, Billboard named him ‘The greatest rapper of all time.’

The discography of The Notorious B.I.G. who has sold in excess of 28 million records, includes one studio Album released before his death, and a further four issued posthumously between 1994-2017, there are also 14 singles released between 1993-2022 on which he is the lead artist, and a further 16 released between 1993-2009 on which he appears as a featured artist. There is one soundtrack Album, and two official compilation Albums also available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has charted on 14 top 40 singles, with ‘Hypnotize,’ (1997) and ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’
featuring Mase and Puff Daddy, (1997) both reaching Number 1, making The Notorious B.I.G. the only artist on Billboard to have achieved two posthumous Number 1 singles. In the UK, The Notorious B.I.G. has had 10 top 40 hit singles, with Nasty Girl,’
featuring P Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Avery Storm and Jazze Pha, peaking the highest at Number 1 in 2005.

‘Big Poppa’ which was officially released as a double ‘A’ side with the track ‘Warning,’ (also on the Album) was the second of three singles released from ‘Ready to Die,’ the debut studio Album, and only studio Album released during the lifetime of The Notorious B.I.G., from September 1994. ‘Big Poppa’ heavily samples The Isley Brothers (see also best songs 823-681-382 and 176) 1983 song ‘Between the Sheets,’ from their Album of the same name, with all six members of that group at that time, receiving co-writing credit, along with The Notorious B.I.G., who wrote the songs lyrics. The track was produced by Chucky Thompson, (1968-2021) (see also best songs 526) Nashiem Myrick, and Sean Combs, who would go on to work under the name ‘Puff Daddy,’ and later as ‘P-Diddy.’

The Notorious B.I.G., is considered the leading player in the genre of ‘East Coast Hip-Hop’ in the mid 1990’s. East Coast Hip-Hop is a regional sub genre of Hip-Hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970’s, and Hip-Hop is recognised to have originated and evolved first in The Bronx, New York City. In contrast to other styles, East Coast Hip-Hop music prioritises complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for dancing. East Coast Hip-Hop is occasionally referred to as ‘New York rap’ due to its origins and development at block parties thrown in New York City during the 1970’s. According to the American online database ‘AllMusic,’ ‘At the dawn of the Hip-Hop era, all rap was East Coast rap. Leading up to Hip-Hop, there were spoken-word artists such as the ‘Last Poets,’ who released their debut album in 1970, and Gil Scott-Heron, (1949-2011) (see also best songs 181) who gained a wide audience with his 1971 track ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.’ These artists combined spoken word and music to create a kind of ‘proto-rap vibe.” Following this, early artists of Hip-Hop such as DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, (see also best songs 290 and 87) Afrika Bambaataa, (see also best songs 716) the Sugarhill Gang, (see also best songs 17) Kurtis Blow, (see also best songs 594) Jam Master Jay (1965-2002) and Run-DMC, (see also best songs 305 and 113) pioneered East Coast Hip-Hop during Hip-Hop’s earlier years in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

As like many other Rap records, on ‘Big Poppa’ The Notorious B.I.G. Raps about his successful lifestyle, and how he attracts women with his vocal ‘flow,’ his wealth, and fame.

‘How ya livin’ Biggie Smalls? In mansion and Benz’s givin’ ends to my friends and it feels stupendous. Tremendous cream, fu#k a Dollar and a dream, still tote gats strapped with infrared beams.