This album is kinda like an advanced & extended version of 'Ready To Die'. Its more polished & smoother than his debut, there are some hard-edged songs but none of the beats here are gritty & street like the first album. Puffy has taken over Bigs style more and more, and now we have a lot more R&B cuts and rhymes about expensive clothes, cars, and drink. Its all cool I guess, nothing wrong with Big getting paid. Basically what we do have here are two discs of cinematic gangsta rap. Big had a rare talent for painting very vivid stories, so clear you actually find yourself there with him and his tales of gunplay and sex fiends. Primo hooks Big up with two of the best hard hitting cuts, 'Kick In The Door' (which rides that crazy Screamin' Jay Hawkins beat), and '10 Crack Commandments', whilst 'Sky Is The Limit' is probably the most pleasing smooth cut.

Disc two starts with a great cameo by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but kinda tails off into mainly R&B and dance floor numbers. The final three cuts are probably the best. The RZA jacks an old Al Green beat with 'Long Kiss Goodnight', and 'My Downfall' and 'You're Nobody Til Somebody Kills You' are pretty creepy. Guest spots from jokes like Mase, The Lox, Lil' Kim and all the other no talent wannabes Puffy associates with should have been left off- these guys can't hang with Big on the mic at all. But other than that, you have to be impressed by this album. Jay Z and hundreds of come-and-go emcees have tried & tried to replicate Bigs formula over the years and no one can do it. Big had a unique talent I guess that is lacking in hip hop today. 'Life After Death' is an atmospheric two disc set of gangster rap, a nice but untimely way to cap off Bigs brief career. You got to say Big was the best ever.


Tragic Loss   July 20, 2001
 20 out of 20 found this review helpful

It was '92, when I first heard of Big's talent, it was played on a track called "Party and Bullsh##". He wasn't promoted much back then, still underground.

In '94, I was working with a few cats from BK, that claimed they new him ( not sure how true that was ) but they had some copies of his tracks, before the somewhat more refined versions came out on "Ready to Die".

What I am saying is, Big was not just an entertainer who was larger than life; there was always an element about him that made him humble, and real. The image of a fat kid hanging on the corner trying to "make some money to feed his daughter", its real. And to us, he personified our lives and captured the details through his words. We lived and unfortunately, died through and with him.

Remember when he was getting his award, he said "we did it, Brooklyn !". We, not I.

And when Pac was attacking him, did Big make an album to retaliate ? No. "F# the crimes now, I'm doing rhymes now." He wanted to continue to make music, to see his kids grow, "The sky it the limit". It should be every father's right.

When I heard Big had died, I thought why ! Another one of us shot dead ! Is it all entertainment for you ?

If you love Big, then buy the album. Big's lyrics reflect on his life, and this album is one of the best ever, equal in quality and lyrics to the first, and his underground work.

Puff Daddy on the other hand, I don't like. He is fake. His production is ok, but it was all Big's talent and voice that made every track phat. Big broke Bad Boy off, and made them what they are today. ( And a lot artists too, like Mace, Lil' Kim, Junior Mafia, 112, Total, Greg Mack ).

There are a lot of phat rappers out there, and many more that never make it, or haven't made it yet. After Pac and Big died, the industry has been promoting [crud]. ( Eminem, Dr. Dre, Nelly, etc. ) Yes Big was one of the best, and so was Pac.

But Rap will continue, and more Playaz will come; unfortunately, none will ever come back.

Respect Life !


My Ears Bleed When I Hear This   September 26, 1999
 12 out of 23 found this review helpful

All the songs sound the same, the only credible song is "Mo Money Mo Problems". Biggie must be one of the most overrated singers of his time, he has a dull, one-tone voice like most East-Side MCs. Simply cannot be compared to 2Pac.


B.I.G will never match 2pac.   December 11, 1999
 11 out of 25 found this review helpful

Besides no money no problem, this CD is horrible, the Notorious is simply not comparable to 2PAC. Rest In Peace to both of them.


what i think about this c.d.   February 5, 2003
 10 out of 17 found this review helpful

about this being the greatest double c.d. and all that other [stuff], "all eyez on me" was and still is the greatest double album and in fact album period. i only like "notorious thugs" in this whole album, westcoast for like man, 2pac is still ballin homies.