When Artists Sample the Notorious B.I.G.

Rappers and singers still look to Biggie for inspiration.

"Ten Crack Commandments," Notorious B.I.G. - On his biggest selling LP, 1997's Life After Death, the Notorious B.I.G. both sold and told the game when he issued this hit single, which explicitly laid out the rules of crack dealing. That the song came out during the waning days of the drug's popularity didn't lessen the song's power, or humor.   (Photo: Chris Walter/WireImage)
Untitled "Mo Money, Mo Problems" Remix, Iggy Azalea and Keyshia Cole - Earlier this week it was announced that Iggy Azalea and Keyshia Cole will be teaming up to remake Biggie’s Diddy and Mase-assisted hit "Mo Money, Mo Problems." According to Irv Gotti, who posted a preview of the song on his Instagram, the collab is for the upcoming movie The Other Woman, out April 25, co-starring Nicki Minaj. (Photos from left: Christopher Polk/Getty Images,, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)
Monica Takes Us to Church - Monica gave a soul stirring rendition of "I Love the Lord," giving us chills reminiscent of the icon herself, Whitney Houston!(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images For BET)"Nobody" Featuring French Montana and Diddy - This eerie joint borrows liberally from Notorious B.I.G.'s "You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)," from the French Montana hook to the Diddy-produced beat. Meanwhie, the MMG honcho kicks rhymes about the street life.(Photos: Noam Galai/Getty Images; Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images; Daniel Tanner/WENN.com)

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When Artists Sample the Notorious B.I.G. - Yesterday (March 9) marked the 17th anniversary since the passing of the Notorious B.I.G. And though it's been nearly two decades, the Brooklyn MC’s legacy continues to be that of one of rap's all-time greatest, the respect for him and his skills never waning over the years. In fact, Big's lyrics and the beats he chose to spit over are quite possibly the most regurgitated in rap and quite often picked up in R&B, too. Read on for some of the most notable uses of Biggie Smalls's music.

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