March 9th marked the anniverary of the untimely death of the Notorious BIG, Biggie Smalls, Big Poppa, Francis M.H., The King of New York, Mr Frank White. Honestly I wasnt on point until my man Yaw Geez hit me with the text and reminded me. His text was more so a reminder of the actual day, but on the daily Big gets love in my world. Let's see theres the poster that hangs on the wall in my living room, then theres the painting of BIG that I have been working on for the last 10 months it seems like. Anyone that has been to my crib in that time period has said, "damn when you gonna finish that?" But hey, it's art and art takes time. At least that my rational and my excuse for not finishing. But back to the daily reminders, theres also the sketch of BIG I drew a couple years ago that sits above my book case. And if it's not those reminders, it's the best of Biggie playlist on the ipod and the iphone that stay in constant rotation.
I can remember when Biggie died, like damn that was a long time ago. I can only imagine how many more ridiculous verses Biggie would have dropped if he were still alive. On the date of his death, I was living in San Antonio, Texas and I got a call from my sister Kia while I was passed out sleep....and she was frantic saying, "Brandon, Biggie just got killed!" At the time I was so tired after a long night at some club it was nothing more than an afterthought, so I said, "Okay sis....love you, call me later." And I went back to sleep and didnt even think about it twice. But when I woke up it hit me, like whoa! My favorite rapper and your favorite rappers favorite rapper had been shot dead in LA, my hometown. On the real it was in my old neighborhood, which was even more crazy. Man me and my boys used to pass the spot where he got killed all the time skipping school going to the McDonalds on Wilshire Blvd. And to top that off he passed away in the same hospital where I was born, Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. 6 degrees of seperation foreal though!
At the time he died, he was at the top of his game, he just dropped Life after Death the double disc with enought crack music to last a lifetime or enough at least to keep him in heavy rotation for the entire summer with me. Man when i first heard "I Got a Story to Tell"....."Who ya'll talking to...." I remember thinking this dude got it, not like that wasnt already evident, but sometime those revelations hit and just confirm the obvious. In honor of the death, heres my top 10 Biggie track list. Definitely subject to some dispute.
10. Juicy (Phone bill about 2 g's flat, no need to worry my accountant handles that)
9. Going Back to Cali (Going back to Cali for the weather, women and the weed...)
8. Get Money (Damn...why she wanna stick me for my paper? My moschino ho, my versace hottie)
7. The What (Like trees to branches, cliffs to avalanches, it's the preying mantis)
6. My Downfall (Catch cases come out fronting smoking something, sipping white russian...)
5. Unbelieveable (Badaging mc's, oxygen they cant breath, mad tricks up the sleave, where boxers so my d*** can breath)
4. Who Shot Ya (I can hear sweat trickeling down your cheek, your heartbeat sound like sasquatch feet)
3. Big Poppa (Soon as he buy that wine, I just creep up from behind, and ask you want your interest are, who you be with...)
2. I Got a Story to Tell (I dont know....one of them 6 foot niggas!)
1. One More Chance (Im not only a client, im the player president.)
As I finished that list...i just thought, there are so many more songs that I could add.....so consider my top 10 unofficial. Damn...how I leave out the 10 crack commandments (1,2,3,4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ten.......)
Bottom line Biggie left a lasting impression on the hip hop culture. Its crazy because for my generation he will go down like Marvin Gaye from my parents generation. Crazy to think that....but BIG is timeless, im sure i'll be 50 years old, telling my kids...."Boy when i was young, the Notorious BIG was the coldest....you hear me boy!"
R.I.P BIG
BMoore Report over
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