The Notorious B.I.G "Ready To Die"

The debut studio album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., titled "Ready to Die", was released on September 13, 1994, through Arista Records and Bad Boy Records. The album features several notable producers, including Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others, and was recorded in New York City at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios from 1993 to 1994. The album is partly autobiographical, detailing the rapper's life as a young criminal, and was his only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered just sixteen days before the release of his second album, "Life After Death", in 1997.

"Ready to Die" received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching number 15 on the Billboard 200. The album features three singles: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", and "One More Chance", as well as a promotional track, "Warning". "Juicy" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, and number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. "Big Poppa" also performed well, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996. The album's storytelling and lyrics were highly praised by critics.

"Ready to Die" was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in April 2018 and is widely considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. It is also credited with revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene, which had been overshadowed by the West Coast's commercial dominance. In 2020, the album ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and was named the greatest hip-hop album of all time on their list of the 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time.