38 Reasons We’ll Always Love Big Poppa – Happy Birthday

 •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  37 Comments

Who’s your favorite rapper? Being from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, eight out of 10 times I answer that question with an emphatic “the Notorious B.I.G. of course.” The other two times, I give the non-committing, “Big is my man, but I fuck with Jay and Nas, too,” answer. Or sometimes I just go for the “man, it’s so many, I really don’t have a favorite” response when I don’t feel like answering the question. But in all reality Christopher Wallace was (and still is eight out of 10 times) my favorite rapper.

We’re from the same neighborhood in BK and all though I never met the dude in person, I always felt an extra sense of pride in the fact that he was from “The Stuy.” Plus, Biggie loved Brooklyn so much, big’d it up so much in his music, that it made me and my homies feel like he was doing it for us. He was rapping to make us look good. His success was all about making Brooklyn shine. More than that, Big was just a super talented, charismatic dude that gave some of the best music

On what would have Biggie’s 38th birthday, let’s take a walk down memory lane and check out 38 reason we’ll always love Big Poppa. Spread love the Brooklyn way, for Frank White. It’s only right. —Rondell Conway

FREESTYLES

1) 2 Pac and Biggie
Before the drama two of raps biggest icons trade verses. Rare footage of duo on better terms.

2) B.I.G and Nas
The Kings of New York hold court.
CLICK HERE:

3) Young Christopher
A teenage Big rips the competition.

4) “The Wickedest”

5) Big and Pac Live in ‘95

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  • simmy

    Biggie GOAT
    But, Tupac>Biggie>Jay-Z. In that order.

  • Rell

    This page is blank for me. Am I buggin?

  • Rell

    This page is blank for me. AM I bugging?

  • M. Baby

    R.I.P. B.I.G., he’s still here…he lives thru J now

  • http://www.bboycult.com $yk

    Marcy PJ’s, BK 4EVA N^ggaz! Do or Die Bed Stuy!

    Shouts to all my NYC B’z & G’z!

    I met Big in the old Bentley’s on Madison Ave. Humble dude. I even passed son the haze blunt I had. But on the real, I never bought son’s 1st album, I was f^cking with the godz (Wu, Nas).

    The double CD album was flame-olas (THAT I COPPED). I think his 3rd album would have been THAT album.

    What’s up with Un Rivera? Someone holla @ dude.

    • http://XXLMAG.COM YA DADDY

      U A FUCKING CLOWN… NYC B AND C? WTF THIS INTERNET GANGSTER STUFF IS GETTING OUTTA HAND. YOUR FATHER MUST BE A LOSER AND U FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS…YOUNG PUNK…

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  • http://www.jamal7mile.blogspot.com Jamal7Mile

    I thought it was dope when BIG got a spot on Michael Jackson’s album. Couldn’t deny him after that one. Happy Birthday and RIP BIG!

  • hiphopdoc

    Man Lil Cease and Diddy need to get shot for comparing Rick Ross to Biggie! Thats very disrespectful to Biggie and it’s like Shitting on his grave. RIP BIG!

  • hiphopdoc

    One of the illest mcs ever! Point Blank!

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  • Fireforreal

    That you can’t stop the reign is helllllllllla slept on. Big went in so hard shag didn’t sound half bad lol I always wondered why big wasn’t in the video sense it did come out in late 96 before he passed.

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  • G

    Thank you XXL for bringing EVERY MC, Rapper, Hip Hop Artist, or wateva you call yourselves back to EARTH!!!!!!!! Take notes!!!!!!!!!! Bang every MC easliy….

  • b-dogg

    spit yo game, talk yo shit, grab yo gat, call yo click—R.I.P. to the greatest…(excellence is my presence)

  • Quills

    First off Happy 38th BIG we miss you and ypur music…………………

    Radio,internet,media period kill me because ok BIG was great but ther are other rappers that passed away one of the greatest was Big L when his birthday comes around no one says shit Jam Master Jay same thing Freaky Ty nobody says shit and theres others Guru was one of the best he change the game when hs DOB comes nobody is going to put up a track list for him i just think give all of our people light to shine

  • adrian smith birmingham england

    r.i.p. biggie g.o.a.t.of all time 38 birthday sad day music lives on

  • DJ Postman

    Biggie would be rolling in his grave to hear people like Diddy and Lil’ Cease comparing him to Rick Ross. That’s absolutely despicable. Ross was a corrections officer. The Notorious B.I.G. can never be touched.

  • http://xxlmag.com mackbone

    i cnt bleve diddy & cease goin there big the greasest 2 eva bless the mic!!!

  • Yes I Hate

    I think BIG was indeed extremely talented as a MC but I still have an issue when people say he is the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Reason being, he was only able to release two official studio albums, one which was released after he died. I dont get how a person with such a small body of work gets the GOAT title. Its like saying Lenny Bias is the GOAT of basketball despite him dying from a drug overdose after being drafted number 1 overall. All I’m saying is if Nelly, DMX, 50 Cent, and many other were restricted to only releasing two albums and never having the opportunity to fuck their legacy up the same GOAT title could be said for them. GET MY POINT?

    • Malik

      Co-sign. If Ice Cube would have died after Lethal Injection, I bet he would be in everyone’s top 5. And if LL retired after Mr. Smith he’d be up there too. All due love and respect to Christopher Wallace, but we have no idea how his career would have turned out if he stayed alive. He could have gave us 5 straight terrible albums for all we know.

      People are too premature with praise, shouts out to Lebron James!

    • Hush

      Dude.B.I.G knew his thing.look at shady he releases after some time but he’s records are always dope and don’t compare Biggy to nelly or anyone.BIGGY was the G.O.A.T…

  • http://stehanney@ymail.com Ste

    Easily the best to ever do it, being that he only released two albums is just every other rappers advantage because if BIG was still releasing albums to this day with more knowledge and wisdom competition would be none..

    And get the Fuck outta here with the Nelly, DMX, and 50 comparisons, like for real..

    R.I.P. to the GOAT Biggie Smalls was and still is the ILLEST..

  • Yes I Hate

    You sir, entirely missed my point. You dont know what BIG would be doing if he was still releasing albums, whos to say he wouldnt have joined Diddy in the auto tune craze. Who is to say he wouldnt have gone the route of Shyne and did a stint in jail only to be released making “wtf” music. Point being, in today’s business climate you have the slightest clue what the nigga would be releasing.

    I was NOT comparing BIG to any of those artist AT ALL. I was stating the fact had they been killed after their most popular album they too would hold a legacy quite similar to BIG.

    We will never know due to him being killed, same is to be said about Pac. Maybe Jay never reaches this platform of success had it not been for BIG and Pac being off’d. You simply dont know. I love the Hip Hop culture way too much to just say BIG was the GOAT just cuz most everyone else does. Two albums simply does not make it a clear cut decision to me.

  • Malik

    I have to disagree on Pac, because he had 6 albums out before he died. Seven counting the Thug Life album (who was actually on every track except 1 unlike Biggie with Junior MAFIA who took a mentor role with the group). He has enough quality work to justify being in the discussion.

  • Yes I Hate

    Oh no I definitely agree Pac had more than enough work to consider him in the discussion. I may have grouped those sentences wrong. I was saying we dont know where Pac would’ve had taken his career had he stayed alive. People tend to remember the latest work, not so much the best. Look at Ye’, 3 really good albums at the least and then a solid brick layered maggot infested shit sandwich in 808′s. If Ye’s next album is killin shit than who the fuck remembers 808′s? it will be the lost album. If BIG released five 808′s in a row we simply say DAMN! I think we should all adopt 808′s as the new lexicon for a garbage ass album out of left field.

  • http://twitter.com/DJ_Killah DJ_Killah

    I agree with Yes I hate. Big was the best of his season. Giving him the title of G.O.A.T. with only 2 studio albums is really not fair. Honestly Big doesn’t crack my top 5 because of the overall body of work. Yes he has 2 of my favorite albums but, but being considered greatest of all time takes a whole body of work over a long period of time….. I only wished he would lived to do 5 or 6 albums then maybe he would be THE ONE.

  • kedordu

    BIG had one of the worst voices in hiphop . the only reason i can think of for the GOAT coronation is the back to back albums he dropped . but jay z and nas have to be in that category as well . illmatic , it was written and Iam was a great run . dynasty and blueprint was dope to me too. tupacs me against the world , all eyes on me and 7 day theory are better than all of those in my opinion . jayz is really the goat tho .. hes not just loved . POINT BLANK PERIOD

  • FORTY

    Biggie was the man! No rapper to this day can compare to his flows…That nigga told a story….RIP!

  • fancyboy923

    Damn..First off Tupac was a hustler as far as just spittin ryhmes.He did work.Notorious had the unique Voice and flow to match the lyrics.It’s a shame 2Pac and Biggie looked poised and realized how eachother where talented..I blame Puff and Suge for gettin in between what would have been legendary music.They played a bigger role in all the situation, which lead to each of there deaths.Suge as you see today is an idiot..and Puff,Puffy,P.Diddy.Diddy..Just look at all the people he’s screwed over.Ya he’s crazy rich,He rid Biggie’s coattales and possibly 1 day would have screwed him over 2..R.I.P Christhoper Wallace..

  • DV8

    How did BIG’s performance of Unbelievable (my favorite BIG track) at the 94 (or was it 95?) Freaknik on stage with Puff not BIG’s best performance. You know the one when he had a glass of dark liqour in hand controlling the stage and not spill one drop. I dont know thats my favorite because I was there.

  • JustFresh

    The man is just an animal, the invisible bully, he’s always there man. Wonder what it’d be like now, BIG would have been bigger than Jay man, no doubt about it. Puff missin that force on the label, at least he got get him to the greek

  • http://MYSPACE.COM HELTAH SIN SAY

    I LOVE BIG AS MUCH AS THE NEXT MAN! BUT TO SAY THE GREATEST? HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST! BUT TO SINGLE HIM OUT AS “THE” THATS AN OPINION! NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY POINT WITH TUPAC IS THAT TUPAC IS ALSO VERY LEGENDARY! IS PAC THE GREATEST? THAT WOULD BE MY OWN OPINION! HONESTLY IF YOU WERE TO GO SONG FOR SONG TRACK FOR TRACK WHO WOULD REALLY WIN? WELL TO ANSWER THAT ME AND MY HOMEBOYS GOT HIGH OUT OF OUR MINDS AND SAT AROUND ONE SATURDAY AND WITH A PEN AND PAD AND WENT SONG FOR SONG BIGGIE VERSUS PAC, AND THE END RESULT WAS TUPAC JUST HAD TO MUCH HITS BIG HAD HIS SHARE OF HITS DONT GET ME WRONG BUT PACS CATALOUGE WAS JUST TO MUCH. IN THE END SOME OF MY HOMEBOYS STILL DIDNT CARE THAT PAC WON THE REALITY OF THE CONTEST THEY STILL THOUGHT BIG WAS GREATEST AND SOME THOUGHT PAC WAS VICTORIOUS OVER NOTORIOUS!!!

  • Victor

    Quite simply, Ability>Output. Just because legions of these internets rappers have released hundreds of songs, it doesn’t mean they have even a smidgen of the talent BIG had. It’s the same as when the pac big argument always crops up. IMO Big was just a better emcee and the two albums he did release were better than pac’s best (RTD>MATW and LAD>AEOM). This is why he can be considered as one of the greatest still. And your crazy if you dont consider Cube a top ten till this day. No one can take classic lps from an artist.

  • Strand

    Real niggas don’t die! Big will live on forever!

  • screagle

    wow. 2 albums and you’re the greatest of all time? that means Outkast = GOAT after ATLiens