The Notorious B.I.G.

Born Again may lack classic status, but there are still enough jewels to make Biggie's first posthumous release a must. Gangsta fatalism abounds on such tracks as "If I Should Die Before I Wake" and "Kick in the Door," but thanks to his deep baritone and whiplash wordplay, Big Poppa carries it all off with more panache than most.

In most cases, if the music in an artist's vaults were great, it probably wouldn't have gone
into the vaults in the first place. This may be especially true of the Notorious B.I.G., who
was the first MC to drop an album and then get ubiquitous on us, releasing an unending slew
of singles, remixes and cameos, each one hotter than the last. Born Again, the Notorious
B.I.G.'s third album (after 1994's Ready to Die and 1997's Life After Death), is the p... More >