Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready To Die" vs. "Life After Death" - Great Debaters (Ep. 8)

Series: Great Debaters, episode #8.
Hosts Soren Baker, (Unique Access Ent.) and Amir Rahimi (Rappin' And Snackin') debate the merits of the two phenomenal Notorious B.I.G. albums; "Ready To Die" and "Life After Death".
Which project do you think is better? Hit us up in the comments section and let us know what you think.
Check us out on Instagram:
Amir Rahimi: / rappinandsnackin
Soren Baker: / uniqueaccessent

[@backhandthings4942]

Life after death > ready to die

[@rappinandsnackin]

word! Why do you prefer LAD?

[@backhandthings4942]

Rappin And Snackin it was a good double disc album filled front to back with dope shit. When that album came out it was on repeat everywhere you went. It was a more memorable album to me, and sky's the limit is imo one of his best songs. It gets me choked up everytime i hear it. Its hard for me to listen to BIG or PAC though without feeling like that. I remember exactly what i was doing when i heard about both of them passing away and i still miss them.

[@rappinandsnackin]

two lives taken far too soon

[@Lillean]

tbh both albums were legendary i mean no album may be better than these to hand down but if im be real i love life after death like that album just shows why biggie was the best and its sad that he dead because we can only imagine if it would gotten bigger like we was suppose to get a biggie album called back to life smh

[@jknumber5138]

Ready to Die was perfect. From the front cover to the title song to Method Man as the only guest artist. I don't know why I have Life After Death as my 6th favorite album of all times. It took me years to completely love that album{years for Reasonable Doubt also}.

[@rappinandsnackin]

appreciate the input, all awesome albums mentioned!

[@MoonwalkerKing-gc5jm]

For me Life after death is his best album btw he is the only rapper that has 2 top 5 albums in history

[@rodman1303]

Life after death hands down... he elevated and changed the game from boom bap style to more modern beats and flows

[@kristiansmith2701]

I think Ready to Die is the better album because it the album itself is a story, and there's interesting irony like Things Done Changed being immediately followed by Gimme the Loot. I will say, however, that sonically it's more one dimensional than Life After Death. Although the R&B tracks weren't the best parts of that album, I feel like his skillset as a rapper improved immensely from Ready to Die, and I think that showing his versatility on different beats and with different artists was the whole point of Life After Death. In the end Ready to Die is the better album but Life After Death makes his catalog so diverse (in my opinion) that his music can be shuffled endlessly

[@rappinandsnackin]

great input... I pretty much agree with everything you said... salute!!!

[@spliffmaticdgz]

Great work fellas, love the jersey my man ✌🏽

[@rappinandsnackin]

thanks Spliff!!

[@bdot187um]

Ready to die, cause it was straight forward in your face to the point with no filers no overly commercial songs, not filled with features,& a concept from beginning to end, that's why I gotta go with it.

[@rappinandsnackin]

Amazing song and yes incredible concept Forsure

[@sbandy1278]

I'll take Life After Death. BIG just took his rhythms to another level. Production on that album is some of the best you will ever hear. Niggas Bleed is an absolute master piece

[@rappinandsnackin]

Storytelling on that song is great

[@pd7339]

A great debate it was. I have this theory that whichever album (from these two) you hear first, you gonna like more. Could that be right?

[@rappinandsnackin]

interesting theory, I wouldn't say so... however, it is possible. I do know that nostalgia does play a huge factor though. So maybe if you heard one album during your childhood, and another during your adult years you may sway towards the first one in that instance, but who knows!

[@Lillean]

Both are the best but life after death omg Nothing but slaps He knew that was gon be the best Albumn

[@rappinandsnackin]

gotcha... I think it's a bit unbalanced, but there are some amazing songs on there. Thanks for the input!

[@rosefaceFGC]

Production I think is more varied and dope on LAD but the conceptual ideas and grit add a TON to RTD. Hard to pick they are companion pieces.

[@rappinandsnackin]

indeed, both awesome albums.

[@Lillean]

How you not like skies the limit?

[@DJDoubleCee]

I like both albums but Life After Death is my favorite out of the two. For the most part, Ready To Die seems more like a street record with a darker tone but Life After Death has a variety of genres. But all and all I think both albums are great.

[@rappinandsnackin]

DJDoubleCee both are great! Got a fav track off LAD?

[@DJDoubleCee]

Rappin And Snackin I would have to say either “I Love The Dough” or “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Kills You”.

[@djtimspaceking8306]

Notorious BIG is such a legend I have to pick ready to die my dad had it on a cassette tape I used to play over and over again

[@rappinandsnackin]

DJ Tim space King classic

[@superproducercbiz]

Ready to die was more raw , life after was more polished. I like the more gritty sound of ready to die more but casual mainstream listeners will probably prefer life after.

[@rappinandsnackin]

indeed!

[@FireIceTalon]

Ready to Die has less skips, but I have to say I enjoy the polished sound of LAD more. It’s kinda the same deal with Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers was raw and gritty and had incredible impact, but Wu Forever was more refined and superior lyrically. In both cases, the debut albums are the more “important” or influential records, but I feel like the sophomore records were sonically better.

[@rappinandsnackin]

gotcha, thanks for your input bro!

[@djtimspaceking8306]

My favorite song everyday struggle my favorite line is Until them I look south for the home family A true G, that's me blowing like a bubble In the everyday struggle

[@rappinandsnackin]

DJ Tim space King great song

[@Lillean]

Greatest hip hop album

[@iceb-akap77ice93]

Ready to die. Such a dope album. And now I've got the Ready to die remastered album too. And got Party and Bullshit on 12 too. But was let down by the original vinyl realese with less tracks on it. The CD was packed with extras.

[@rappinandsnackin]

masterpiece, the original vinyl promo is definitely a let down compared to the full length

[@AG_Drian]

always Life after death for me

[@rappinandsnackin]

dope dope

[@jgip64]

Dope review guys. I personally think life after death is better at this point. He evolved as an artist without dumbing down the content too much. The R&B features are excellent especially the I love the dough with Jay-Z and I’m a Bone fan so notorious Thugs is gold to me.

[@rappinandsnackin]

glad you enjoy!! That Bone track is one of my favs of all time. Amazing stuff. Appreciate the feedback G!

[@jk-474]

Gotta go with Ready To Die. FAR more consistent body of work for BIG, I rarely skip a track on RTD. Life After Death the first disc by itself is fantastic, but I would’ve taken all my picks from the second disc and replaced the biggie interview on the first disc with the GOOD 2nd disc tracks, cut the fat off the album and it’s competitive!

[@rappinandsnackin]

yea, definitely too long on LAD

[@prabshiro]

Respect is one of the best songs on ready to die

[@rappinandsnackin]

damn, that is one of my least fav tracks

[@montehibbert3606]

In my humble opinion, LAD is the better album. Yes it has more “party songs” but it also has just as much hardcore tracks as Ready to die. Life after death has everything. Plus the lyricism level grew so much. However, how can you not even mention my favorite ready to die track ‘Warning’ !?

[@rappinandsnackin]

Also has a lot of filler IMO. “Warning” is a great track!!

[@scottferguson3842]

Ready to Die for me by a mile. It's one of the best all time. Excellent production and rapping. And the right mix of hard and lighter elements. Life After Death is a watered down attempt to get as many songs on the radio as possible. It spreads itself too thin trying to be too many things. IMO it had very little energy. BUT Hyponotize and Got a Story to Tell are classics.

[@rappinandsnackin]

Ready To Die definitely!!! Like most double albums, LAD needs some trim.

[@jimmydenton4872]

Hypnotize and got a story to tell Aren't even in my top 20 on the album. I lime grimy gritty and witty

[@garyparton7369]

Ready to die all day straight up East coast classic

[@rappinandsnackin]

amazing debut

[@rosefaceFGC]

You know I done liked the video b4 watching

[@rappinandsnackin]

bless! Which is your preference?

[@ArchibaldEdits]

Life After Death >>>>>>>

[@rappinandsnackin]

great album

[@Lillean]

I love the video glad u guys are fans but i dont think you guys understand life after death is biggie last and album that he wanted the world to know he was the greatest

[@rappinandsnackin]

thank you

[@jithe3rd]

LAD has a lot of fat that can be trimmed off... the song with Lil Kim, missing you... they do feel like fillers... RTD is a banger... from beginning to end... yeah, Juicy is a song that doesnt fit the feel of the album but it fits the over all story that it tells... RTD is better, however both are great projects

[@2piecesensei]

Ready to Die= Biggie was hungry as fuck and wasn't playing. Dude was fresh from the streets. Life After Death= Biggie as ready to cement himself as the GOAT. His flow was sick on both but Ready to Die was far from commercial where Life After Death was a commercial double album because he was competing with 2Pac. To me Biggie was more genuine and sincere on Ready to Die because he was desperately trying to get the fuck off the streets, so Ready to Die is my personal favorite.

[@Lillean]

The fact that u aint no about it is sad