Ready to Die

For other uses, see Ready to Die (disambiguation).
"Suicidal Thoughts" redirects here. For the thoughts, ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of ending one's life, see Suicidal ideation.

Ready to Die
A baby with an Afro haircut sits in a blank white background.
Studio album by
The Notorious B.I.G.
ReleasedSeptember 13, 1994 (1994-09-13)
Recorded1993–1994
StudioThe Hit Factory and D&D Studios, New York City
Genre
Length69:05
Label
Producer
The Notorious B.I.G. chronology
Ready to Die
(1994) 		Life After Death
(1997)
30th Anniversary re-release cover
Singles from Ready to Die
  1. "Juicy"
    Released: August 9, 1994
  2. "Big Poppa / Warning"
    Released: December 24, 1994
  3. "One More Chance"
    Released: June 6, 1995

Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features productions by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. It was recorded from 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album Life After Death in 1997. The album features a sole guest appearance from Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man.

Ready to Die peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance" and a promotional track of Biggie: "Warning". "Juicy", the lead single, peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles.[3] "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. The Notorious B.I.G.'s lyrics on the album were generally praised by critics, particularly for his story-telling ability.

In April 2018, Ready to Die was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was significant for revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene, amid West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance.[4] It has been ranked by many critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2020, the album was ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and was ranked 1st on their list of the 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time.[5] In 2024, the album was selected to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, and/or aesthetically significant".[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Toure was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox. October 20, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference AMG-Singles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Williams, Todd "Stereo" (September 13, 2019). "Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Ready To Die' Changed the Course of Hip-Hop History 25 Years Ago". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  5. ^ Lopez, Julyssa (June 7, 2022). "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  6. ^ "The Notorious B.I.G., The Chicks, Green Day & More Selected for National Recording Registry (Full List)". Billboard. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.