THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

955-The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase-Mo Money Mo Problems.

1997-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 2.09. It appears that the more money you have, the more problems you have. ‘I’ll risk it.’

The Notorious B.I.G. (see also best songs 307) was born Christopher George Latore Wallace, on May 21st, 1972, in New York City, United States, he was assassinated, by a still unknown gunman, in Los Angeles, on March 9th, 1997, at the age of 24. ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ was the second single, after ‘Hypnotize’ to reach Number 1 on the American Billboard Hot 100, making The Notorious B.I.G. the only artist to have two Number 1 singles on that chart posthumously.

‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ was the second of three singles released from The Notorious B.I.G.’s second and final studio Album ‘Life After Death,’ from March 1997, it was released 16 days after his murder. ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ is credited to five writers, Christopher Wallace, Steven Jordan, Mace, Bernard Edwards, (1952-1996) and Nile Rodgers, with the songs production credited to Steven Jordan, and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs. The song has three verses, with Mace rapping the first, the second verse is by Sean Combs, who was known as ‘Puff Daddy’ at that time, and the third verse was by The Notorious B.I.G. Nile Rodgers and Bernie Edwards (see also best songs 175 and 17) receive songwriting credit as it is their 1980 song ‘I’m Coming Out,’ that is heavily sampled on the track. ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ also has unaccredited female vocals that were provided by Kelly Price, who also features elsewhere in this countdown, as providing backing vocals on the Mariah Carey song ‘”All I Want for Christmas Is You’ (see also best songs 822.)

Sean Combs was born on November 4th, 1969, in New York City, United States, he has released music under three pseudonyms,’Puff Daddy,’ ‘P. Diddy,’ and then ‘Diddy.’ As well as making music Combs also founded the record label ‘Bad Boy Records,’ in 1993, where he has also served as a singer/songwriter, and producer. Combs has also acted in, and produced for film, and television, in 2022 the ‘Forbes’ business magazine estimated his wealth at US$1 billion. The discography of Sean Combs includes six Albums released between 1997-2014, and 72 singles, issued between 1997-2022. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles chart, as either the lead artist, or as the featured artist, he has charted on 27 occasions, with five of those songs reaching Number 1, including ‘Mo Money Mo Problems.’ On the UK top 40 singles chart, as either the lead, or featured artist, Combs has charted on 31 occasions, with three of those songs making the Number 1 spot.

‘Mace’ was born Mason Durell Betha, on August 27, 1975, in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, it was after coming to the attention of Sean Combs that Mace was signed to ‘Bad Boy Records.’ Mace had great success with his first two studio Albums that sold around 400,000 copies between them, but in 1999 he announced his retirement from music in order to pursue a ‘Calling from God,’ Mace said that he was ‘Leading people, friends, kids, and others down a path to hell,’ also saying it was time to serve God in ‘His’ way. After five years away from music, during which time he had become an ordained minister he returned and recorded his third studio Album ‘Welcome Back,’ in 2004. The discography of Mace includes those three studio Albums released between 1997-2004, and 22 singles that have been issued between 1997-2013. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, he has had 12 top 40 hits as either the lead or featured artist, with two of those songs making Number 1, while in the UK he has reached the top 40 on 11 occasions, with ‘Top of the World,’ by Brandy featuring Mace, charting the highest at Number 2 in 1998.

The lyrics to ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ explain how money and success can lead to problems, with people being jealous, and bad mouthing you. The ‘Bad Boy Records’ label had just taken off, and they were subject to aggression, including violent attacks, and a whole host of lawsuits.

‘B-I-G P-O-P-P-A. No info for the DEA. Federal agents mad ’cause I’m flagrant, tap my cell and the phone in the basement. My team supreme, stay clean, triple beam lyrical dream, I be that.’