The famous rapper Notorious B.I.G. died 26 years ago on today Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Born and raised in Bed-Stuy, Biggie Smalls is one of the most well-known rappers. He was shot and killed on March 9, 1997, in Los Angeles while he was only 24 years old and sitting in a car at a stoplight after exiting a party.

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Here are 5 best songs of the icon-

1. Juicy

In a survey conducted by the BBC in 2019, Juicy was chosen as the best hip-hop track of all time in addition to being the best Notorious BIG track. Undoubtedly a contentious issue, but it is clear why it prevailed. The lyrics “define the American dream,” as the rapper Common put it, when viewed through a hip-hop lens. A number of beautifully crafted lines, such as “no heat, wonder why Christmas missed us,” and allusions to old-school rap fandom, from Lovebug Starski and the long-lost US black teen magazine Word Up! to the 1984 novelty track Rappin’ Duke, make this a classic, intimate rags-to-riches story feel joyful rather than boastful.

2. Notorious

Hypnotize, the song Biggie was in LA to make a video for when he was killed, is a fantastic single and a posthumous US No 1. He sounds imposing, the Herb Alpert-sampling production is starkly funky, and the refrain pays homage to the vintage hit La-Di-Da-Di by Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh.

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3. Suicidal Thoughts

With one verse, no hook, and self-loathing poured out over an austere rhythm, Ready to Die concluded with the unfavorable impression of its swaggering big hits. Although there is some shock factor, the detail—such as the man’s regret over robbing his mother of her purse and the depressing image of “people frontin’ at my funeral like they mourn me”—gives the story its true power.

4. Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems

The great success of Life After Death found the lyrical skill of Biggie and the pop intelligence of Combs in perfect harmony: the latter’s use of I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross is inspired; the first’s verse moves from celebrating his own success to suggesting, with a certain dark irony, that he’s only interested in music, not mutual hip-hop wars: “Bruise too much, I lose too much”

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5. Ten Crack Commandments

Ten Duel Commandments, Biggie’s witty, acerbic counsel to prospective dealers, was later adapted into the musical Hamilton. Stop it! You believe a drug addict is repaying you? Shit, forget it!” cries the singer over a superb, minimal DJ Premier rhythm, where sporadic electronic beeps collide with a ferocious Chuck D sample from Public Enemy.