The Legacy of the Notorious B.I.G.
BET.com looks back at classic rhymes from B.I.G.
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Spittin’ a Classic Freestyle on Fulton Street - Making loot, knocking boots on the regular / Pass the microphone I'm the perfect competitor / The jewels and all that, the clothes is all that / Chump, stepping to me—that’s where you take your fall at / B.I.G., without my burner, it’s unheard of / I stay close to mine like Tina on Turner / Quick to smother the punk motherf****r / Undercover, word to mother I’m above ya / And I’ll love ya ‘cause you a sweet b***h / A crazy crab that might make my d**k itch
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Establishing His Wild Ways on “Party and Bullsh**” - Hugs from the honeys, pounds from the roughnecks / Seen my man Sei that I knew from the projects / Said he had beef, asked me if I had my piece / Sure do, two .22's in my shoes / Holler if you need me, love, I'm in the house / Roam and stroll, see what the honeys is about / Moet popping, ho hopping, ain't no stopping Big Poppa / I'm a BAD BOY!(Photo: Catherine McGann/Getty Images)
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From a 1993 Freestyle Battle With Then Ally Tupac - I got seven Mack 11s, about eight 38s / Nine 9s, 10 Mack 10s, the shits never ends / You can't touch my riches / Even if you had MC Hammer and them 357 bi****s / Biggie Smalls; the millionaire, the mansion, the yacht / The two weed spots, the two hot glocks / That's how I got the weed spot / I shot dread in the head, took the bread and the lamb’s bread(Photo: Mary Evans/FILMFOUR/LAFAYETTE FILMS/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)
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Playfully Detailing Fantasies on “Just Playin’ (Dreams)” - Only 'cause I’m paid / I'm f***in' all of Jade / And my DJ, Zhane, he likes it when they say / “Everybody, move your body" / Got Whitney Houston boostin' from Bobby / As I bust the cherry of Monica and Terri / Backshots to Chaka—I know that p***y hairy / Sade … Ooh! I know that p***y tight / Smacked Tina Turner, give her flashbacks of Ike
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Celebrating His Escape From the Rough Life on “Juicy” - Remember Rappin' Duke, duh-ha, duh-ha / You never thought that hip hop would take it this far / Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight / Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade / Born sinner, the opposite of a winner / Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner / Peace to Ron G, Brucie B, Kid Capri / Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky / I'm blowin' up like you thought I would / Call the crib, same number same hood / It's all good(Photo: Tar/Retna Ltd)
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Showing His Playa Skills on “Big Poppa” - Straight up honey, really I'm askin’ / Most of these ni***s think they be mackin’ but they be actin’ / Who they attractin’ with that line, "What's your name, what's your sign?" / Soon as he buy that wine I just creep up from behind / And ask what your interests are, who you be with / Things to make you smile, what numbers to dial / You gon' be here for a while, I'm gon' go call my crew / You go call your crew / We can rendezvous at the bar around 2 (Photo: Des Willie/Redferns)
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Flexing His Storytelling Prowess on “Warning” - It's my nigga Pop from the barbershop / Told me he was in the gamblin’ spot, and heard the intricate plot / "Some ni***s wanna stick you like fly paper, neighbor" / Slow down, love, please chill drop the caper / "Remember them ni***s from the hill up in Brownsville / That you rolled dice wit, smoked blunts and got nice wit?" / Yeah my ni*** Fame up in Prospect / Nah, them my ni***s, nah love wouldn't disrespect / "I didn't say them / They schooled me to some ni***s that you knew from back when / When you was clockin' minor figures / Now they heard you blowin’ up like nitro / And they wanna stick the knife through your windpipe slow"
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Matching Wits With Method Man on "The What" - Welcome to my center / Honeys feel it deep in they placenta / Cold as the pole in the winter / Far from the inventor, but I got this rap shit sewed / And when my Mack unloadsI'm guaranteed another video / Ready to die, why I act that way / Pop duke left mom duke / The faggot took the back way / So instead of makin’ hoes suck my dick up / I used to do stick-up / Cause hoes is irritatin’ like the hiccups / Excuse me, flows just grow through me / Like trees to branches / Cliffs to avalanches(Photo: PA Photos/Landov)
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Describing Crack’s Impact on “Things Done Changed” - If I wasn't in the rap game / I'd probably have a key knee-deep in the crack game / Because the streets is a short stop / Either you're slingin’ crack rock or you got a wicked jumpshot / S**t, it's hard being young from the slums / Eatin’ five cent gums, not knowin' where your meals comin’ from / And now the s**t's gettin' crazier and major / Kids younger than me, they got the Sky Grand Pagers / Goin’ outta town, blowin’ up / Six months later all the dead bodies showin’ up / It make me wanna grab the nine and the shotty / But I gotta go identify the body / Damn, what happened to the summertime cookouts / Every time I turn around, a n***a gettin’ took out(Photo: Everett Collection 271379A)
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Trading Verses With His Heir Apparent, Jay-Z, on “Brooklyn’s Finest” - Hit ya, back split ya / F**k fistfights and lame scuffles / Pillow case to your face, make the shell muffle / Shoot your daughter in the calf muscle / F**k a tussle, nickel-plated / Sprinkle coke on the floor, make it drug-related / Most hate it … My Bed-Stuy flow’s malicious, delicious / F**k three wishes / Made my road to riches / From 62s, gem stars, my mom's dishes / Gram choppin’, police van dockin’ / Ds at my doors knockin’
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Celebrating His Ghetto Fabulousness on “Hypnotize” - I can fill ya wit real millionaire shit / Escargot, my car go 160 swiftly / Wreck it, buy a new one / Your crew run run run, your crew run run / I know you sick of this name brand n***a wit flows / Girls say he's sweet like licorice / So get with this n***a, it's easy, girlfriend, here's a pen / Call me round 10 / Come through, have sex on rugs that's Persian / Come up to your job, hit you while you working, for certain(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Spinning His Best Player Tale on “I Got a Story to Tell” - The s**t she kicked, all the s***'s legit / She get d**k from a player off the New York Knicks / N***a tricked ridiculous, the s**t was plush / She's stressing me to f**k, like she was in a rush / We f***ed in his bed, quite dangerous / I'm in his ass while he playing 'gainst the Utah Jazz / My 112 CD blast, I was past / She came twice, I came last, roll the grass / She giggle, sayin’ "I’m smokin’ on homegrown" / Then I heard a moan / "Honey, I'm home"(Photo: Walik Goshorn/Retna)
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Teaching the Rules of the Corner on “10 Crack Commandments” - Number five: Never sell no crack where you rest at / I don't care if they want a ounce, tell ‘em bounce / Number six: That goddamn credit, dead it / You think a crackhead’s payin’ you back, s**t, forget it / Seven: This rule is so underrated / Keep your family and business completely separated / Money and blood don't mix like two d***s and no b**h /Find yourself in serious s**t / Number eight: Never keep no weight on you / Them cats that squeeze your guns can hold jums, too
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Taunting His Competition on “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 / My team supreme, stay clean / Triple beam lyrical dream, I be that / Cat you see at all events bent / Gats in holsters, girls on shoulders / Playboy, I told ya / Bein’ mice to me, bruise too much / I lose? Too much / Step on stage, the girls boo too much / I guess it's cause you run with lame dudes too much (Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Tales From a Big-Time Hustler on “Victory” - Real sick, brawl nights, I perform like Mike / Anyone—Tyson, Jordan, Jackson / Action, pack guns, ridiculous / And I'm quick to bust, if my ends you touch / Kids or girl you touch / In this world I clutch / Two auto-matos, used to call me fatso / Now you call me Castro, my rap flows / Militant, yall f****ts ain't killin’ shit / Oops, Cristal keep spillin’ s**t / You overdid it, homes / You in the danger zone, you shouldn’t be alone / Hold hands and say it like me / The most shady, Frankie baby, fantastic / Graphic, tryin’ to make dough, like Jurassic / Park did quick to spark kids who start s**t / See me, only me / The underboss of this holocaust / Truly yours, Frank White(Photo: Gregory Jackson/Retna Ltd)
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Sending a Message to His Haters on “What’s Beef” - My Calico been cocked this rap Alfred Hitchcock / Drop top-notch player-hating won't stop / This instant rapper's too persistent / Quick to spit Biggie name on s**t / Make my name taste like ass when you speak it / See me in the street / Your jewelry you can keep it / That'll be our little secret / See me, B that is, I that is, G whiz / Motherf***ers still in my biz(Photo: Gregory Jackson/Retna Ltd)
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Deftly Describing a Teflon Don on “Niggas Bleed” - Ron bought a truck, two bricks laid in the cut / His peeps got buck, got locked the f**k up / That's when Ron vanished, came back, speakin' Spanish / Lavish habits, two rings, 20 karats / Here's a criminal, n***a made America's Most / Killed his baby mother brother, slit his throat / The n***a got bagged with the toast / Weeded, took it to trial, beat it / Now he feel he undefeated, he mean it / Nothing to lose, tattooed around his gun wounds / Everything to gain, embedded in his brain / And me I feel the same for this, money, ya dyin' / Specially if my daughter cryin, I ain't lyin’(Photo: Michael Benabib / Retna Ltd)
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Doing In a Rival on “You’re Nobody (Til’ Somebody Kills You)” - Here's a tissue, stop your bloodclot crying / The kids, the dog, everybody dying—no lying / So don't you get suspicious / I'm Big Dangerous, you're just a Likkle Vicious / As I leave my competition, respirator-style / Climb the ladder to success escalator-style / Hold y'all breath, I told y'all / Death controls y'all / Big don't fold y'all, uhh / I spit phrases that'll thrill you / You're nobody till somebody kills you(Photo: David Corio/Redferns)
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Showing Love to the West Coast on “Going Back to Cali” - If I got to choose a coast, I got to choose the East / I live out there, so don't go there / But that don't mean a n***a can't rest in the West / See some nice breasts in the West /Smoke some nice sess in the West, y'all n***as is a mess / Thinkin’ I'm gonna stop givin’ L.A. props / All I got is beef with those that violate me / I shall annihilate thee / Case closed, suitcase filled with clothes / Linens and things, I begin things(Photo: Des Willie/Redferns)