#476

Impressions: I’m usually way behind on pop culture trends. I tend to wait until the clamor all dies down and then I will peruse said album, movie, tv show, book, or trend without the glow of the excitement and hype that accompanied it in the first place. Then, if I like it, then I’ll drive everyone crazy talking about how great, say, Battlestar Galactica is when everyone else is like “where the fuck have you been?” The Notorious B.I.G’s “Life After Death” falls into this category. Let’s see if its any good… The huge windup in the beginning with”Life After Death” announces this album as an epic in scope hip-hop masterpiece. This brand of hip -hop/pop ruled the radio in the late ’90s and continues to be emulated this day. Released after B.I.G.’s death, it gives the music an added, poignant (or depressing) layer of gravitas that might not be there if he hadn’t died. I mean, look a the title for Cripes sake, and the first song is about B.I.G. being dead with Puff Daddy saying “you got to much livin to do” and a flatline sound hitting your ears. Heavy. A wide range of styles are on display, from the poppy Diana Ross sample driven “Mo Money Mo Problems” to more hardcore hip-hop “Ten Crack Commandments” to the R&B spiked “Sky’s The Limit.” Puffy isn’t like the best producer around, but he had good pop taste in samples. B.I.G. is a great rapper, but sometimes his fat, nasal voice kinda wears me out, although he’s a great storyteller and has a sense of humor that many of his contemporaries missed out on (like on the slow jam goofoff “#!*@ You Tonight”.)  This album like a novel or autobiography that I could see myself picking up and enjoying but I don’t see myself listening to these songs outside of the album. They seem to make more sense as one unit.  The whole thing is compelling, kinda sad, a little long,…but still a hip-hop masterpiece.