25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
5. The Notorious B.I.G - Ready To Die
Is Biggie Smalls the greatest rapper of all time? Many critics and fans like to think so, and listening to his debut Ready to Die it's clear why he's received such a reputation. Biggie raps about growing up poor, hustling and the struggles he's encountered, but does so not with pity, but with energy, humour and thoughtfulness.
Plus, just look at the number of all-time classics make up the album - "Juicy", "Machine Gun Funk", "Big Poppa", "Gimme the Loot", "The What" and more. Biggie tells stories but does so with great lyrical prowess; he's fast, intelligent, playful and honest, and it makes listening to him all the more rewarding.
Biggie was killed before his also-great second album, Life After Death, was released, but even with just two albums under his belt, he made a mark as one of rap's best MCs. Ready to Die is living proof of just how formidable an artist he was.