In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album Ready To Die, Hot 97 shared a video featuring anecdotes from DJ Enuff, Funkmaster Flex, Miss Info and Mister Cee on the hip-hop classic. From behind-the-scenes stories to present-day reflections and accolades, the 12-minute clip honors the late rapper’s masterful contribution to the genre and culture. Peep a few highlights:
DJ Enuff:
“We got the chance to rep New York, Brooklyn, all across the world, from our point of view. And we had no idea it was this magical. It was just happening. So, to me it meant everything.”
Mister Cee:
“It was like the second coming of Big Daddy Kane. Especially with both of them being from Brooklyn, from Bed Stuy Brooklyn. It was like I was seeing Big Daddy Kane all over again.”
SEE ALSO: An Unpopular Opinion: Biggie’s ‘Ready To Die’ Is Hip-Hop’s Most Flawed Classic Album
Miss Info:
“I remember very distinctly when Ready To Die came out. I was an intern at The Source magazine and I was assigned to review Ready To Die. But while obviously one of the biggest honors and thrills of my life, it is also my deepest, deepest personal regret because we gave Ready To Die four-and-a-half mics, which sounds great I’m sure. But, you know, looking back at all that time, there’s nothing in this universe that you can do to convince me that Ready To Die is not a classic album. Time reveals the truth. I think that Biggie’s debut album fulfilled that and more and proved to all of us that it will endure forever as a classic album. But I do wish that Biggie and Ready To Die had gotten five mics.”
Funkmaster Flex:
“I only put a few albums equal to BIG: Slick Rick’s album, the first Nas album, De La Soul album, not many. Oh, Paid In Full [by] Rakim. Anything after that, I have not heard an album match up to Ready To Die.”
Watch Hot 97’s full Ready To Die tribute in the video above and spin Mister Cee and Funkmaster Flex’s ‘Ready To Die 20th Anniversary’ mix below: