GOAT: The Notorious B.I.G
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I once heard that it was all a dream; kids read Word Up magazine bumping to "Juicy" in the limousine. Hanging pictures of the Don, every Saturday Rap Attack while singing about Marley Marl. The life of the Notorious B.I.G. is a reality that is still being lived to day in the streets of every major city in the world. It's the rag-to-riches, ashy-to-classy story that we all love to hear about exemplified. Born on March 21st 1972, Christopher Wallace went from selling rock on the streets Bedford-Stuyvesant to becoming one of the biggest cultural icons the world ever knew. All that because people wanted to hear Biggie Smalls speak. What is the Greatest of All-Time conversation without talking about the biggest mafioso in Hip-Hop history.
Commercial success
"Super Nintendo Sega Genesis, when I was dead broke, man I couldn't picture this." What did he see in terms of commercial success? While he only saw one album (Ready to Die) released before his unfortunate passing in 1997, the album still broke 6x platinum and his follow-up, Life After Death, going diamond. He's released an estimated twelve million albums and equivalent sales, bringing him at an all-time high for a person who only had two complete albums in their career. Many of his major singles have made it high in the Billboard Hot 100 ranking, with titles such as "Juicy" reaching 27, "Big Poppa" at 6 and both "Mo Money Mo Problems" and "Hypnotize" taking the number 1 spot. While it doesn't seem like much, the argument can be made that it is impressive and effective. Would you rather have a basketball player take 30 shots in a game and drop ten points, or a another player who only attempts five and has the same points?
Album qualification
The Notorious B.I.G. is 2 for 2 when it comes to the creation of classic albums. Both Ready to Die and Life After Death can be considered being classic Hip-Hop projects. They've garnered the respect that they have for different reasons. His first release was an introspective look into the life of a hoodlum in its realest form, from the pains of not having enough to the realities of selling on the streets. All the while, his posthumous release was about having made it to the top and how it felt there. No longer were there conversations of not being able to feed one's daughter and suicidal thought; this was about making money and being able to spend it the way you wanted and bringing the people you are with on this amazing journey with you. Classic accomplished.
Impact / Longevity
The beginnings of "Juicy" are some of the most notable rap lyrics to ever grace a record. They're everywhere and are known by so many of the game's greats. That isn't the only thing that makes his legacy so important: it's how the world has perceived him. He hasn't changed; he hasn't been deified after he died - if anything, his story was maintained perfectly. An MC with the lyrical proficiency that surpassed others and that is now fondly remembered by everyone in the community. While the story of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry still lingers in the deepest of thoughts, it doesn't surpass the rap and the swagger that Biggie brought to the game.
Lyricism
There is something to say about some that is able to come up with the entire concept for an album in the span of a few studio sessions, nevertheless someone who is able to freestyle it. The Notorious B.I.G.'s impeccable flow is a thing of legend, with so many elements to it that most freestyle rappers are never able to do. There is a level of storytelling that is always present in his songs, all the while he is able to insert insane syllable ability. What can someone say to someone that is proving that they were the best off of what they come up randomly? Could anyone imagine what he would be able to do if he had thought of writing everything down? I don't know, and I couldn't imagine what he would do.
In conclusion, the Notorious B.I.G. is arguably one of the most straight forward people in the history of Hip-Hop. From his ability on the mic to the story that surrounded him, Biggie Smalls was someone you wanted to know. An impeccable storyteller with two great albums, his greatness is something that is easily understandable. Where he stands in the annals of history is simply a product of his hard work definite swagger.