It seems unreal that the late, great Notorious B.I.G. has been gone for 20 years to the day.
Biggie’s lyrics and flow were culture shifting that fans young and old still bump his music today. The Brooklyn emcee did so much during his short time in the rap game that he’s considered your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. We honor the notorious one on the anniversary of his death by acknowledging some of the greatest bars he ever spit.
His legacy lives on.
1. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Juicy”
“We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us / No heat, wonder why Christmas missed us / Birthdays was the worst days / Now we sip champagne when we thirsty.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
2. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Ready to Die”
“When I die, fuck it, I wanna go to hell / Cause I’m a piece of shit, it ain’t hard to fucking tell / It don’t make sense, going to heaven with the goodie-goodies / Dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Super Cat feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Dolly My Baby (Remix”
“I see you shivering / Check the flavor Biggie Smalls is delivering / Lyrical lyricist flowing lyrics out my larynx.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
4. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Mo Money Mo Problems”
“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.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
5. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa”
“I got more mack than Craig and in the bed / Believe me sweetie, I got enough to feed the needy / No need to be greedy, I got mad friends with Benzes.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
6. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Party & Bullshit”
“Lounging black, smoking sacks up in Ac’s and Sidekicks / With my sidekicks rocking fly kicks.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
7. Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & LL Cool J – “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)”
“Disappear, vamoose, you’re wack to me / Take them rhymes back to the factory / I see the gimmicks, the wack lyrics, the shit is / Depressing, pathetic, please forget it.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
8. Unbelievable – Biggie (Original Version)
“Live from Bedford Stuyvesant / The Livest one / Representing BK to the fullest / Gats I pull it bastards ducking when Big be bucking.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
10. The Notoroius B.I.G. – “Sky’s The Limit”
“Getting larger in waists and tastes / Ain’t no telling where this felon is heading, just in case / Keep a shell at the tip of your melon, clear the space / Your brain was a terrible thing to waste.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
11. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Machine Gun Funk”
“Sticks and stones break bones, but the gat’ll kill you quicker / Especially when I’m drunk off the liquor.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
12. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. 112 – “Miss U”
“We work all week, weekends we play the movies / We rock flatops, our girls rocked doobies / Made a killin’, even though the D’s knew me / Eventually, you know they try to do me.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
14. The Notorious feat. Method Man – “The What”
“Excuse me, flows just grow through me / Like trees to branches, cliffs to avalanches / It’s the praying mantis, deep like the mind of Farrakhan.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
15. The Notorious B.I.G.
Here’s one of Biggies first ever recorded freestyles.
16. The Notorious B.I.G – “Everyday Struggle”
“But they don’t know about your stress-filled day / Baby on the way, mad bills to pay / That’s why you drink Tanqueray, so you can reminisce / And wish you wasn’t living so devilish, shit” – The Notorious B.I.G.
18. Busta Rhymes feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Modern Day Gangstas” [Unreleased]
“Catch my drift, or catch my four-fifth lift / At least six inches, above project fences.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
19. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Kick In The Door”
“In fear you start to cry, ask why / Lyrically I’m worshiped, don’t front, the word sick / You cursed it, but rehearsed it / I drop unexpectedly like bird shit.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
20. The Notorious B.I.G. – “I Got A Story To Tell”
“Her brain racin, she’s tellin me to stay patient / She don’t know I’m, cool as a fan / Gat in hand, I don’t wanna blast her man / But I can and I will though / I probably chill though / Even though situation lookin kinda ill yo.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
21. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Gimme The Loot”
“My man Inf left a Tec and a 9 at my crib / Turned his self in, he had to do a bid / A 1-to-3, he be home the end of ’93.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
22. The Notorious B.I.G- “Me & My B***h”
“I never felt that way in my life / It didn’t take long before I made you my wife / Got no rings and shit, just my main squeeze / Comin’ to the crib, even had a set a keys.” – The Notorious B.I.G.
