The first time I heard “Hypnotize” on the radio, I knew it was gonna be huge. Biggie’s impeccable flow had seemingly improved in the two-plus years since he’d released his debut Ready To Die. Puff Daddy and his Hitmen sampled Herb Alpert’s 1979 disco hit “Rise” in a way that had equal appeal to the… Read More “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)
Puffy didn’t invent the remix. Even the idea of reconstructing a song so it was almost completely different from the original and calling it a remix existed before Puffy. However, his re-rub of Bad Boy’s first hit set a couple of precedents and served several purposes. Oh, and it might also be the best hip-hop… Read More “Flava In Ya Ear (remix)” by Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage the Last Boy Scout, LL Cool J & Busta Rhymes (1994)
There was Mariah Carey before the “Fantasy” remix and Mariah Carey after the “Fantasy” remix. Prior to this remix, Mariah seemed to be headed down a direction that could charitably be described as “middle of the road”. Inspirational ballads, soft-rock covers, and the occasional dance-informed tune to remind her fans that she was a) still… Read More “Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix)” by Mariah Carey feat. ODB (1995)
Bad Boy Records spun off a seemingly endless array of hit singles and albums from its 1994 kickoff through the early 2000s. Great. I think we can all agree that Puffy is a genius marketer. But how much of the music actually holds up fifteen-twenty years later? Opinions may vary, of course, but here’s what… Read More “Emotional” by Carl Thomas (2000)
Upon commercial release, the “motherfucker” was left off of “Come On”’s original title. Although it didn’t officially see the light of day until 2000 (on the Notorious one’s posthumous Born Again CD), the duet between two of NYC’s finest emcees was recorded seven years prior. At the time, Biggie was on the come up, sprinkling the underground… Read More “Come On (Motherfucker)” by The Notorious B.I.G. & Sadat X (1999)
Two things elevate “Come and Talk to Me” to a level above the average new jack swing ballad: K-ci Hailey and Sean “Puffy” Combs. Without those two elements (the latter of which was not present on the song’s original version) “Come and Talk…” is a pretty standard early ‘90s R&B ballad. Boy meets girl, boy wants to chat up… Read More “Come and Talk to Me” by Jodeci (1991)
“Big Poppa” is where Puffy’s genius kicks in. I don’t like the guy, think he’s slimier than every season of Double Dare put together, but the marketing vision that he had for B.I.G. is a big part of what made him (well, both of them) such a superstar. “Rhyme slower,” I can hear Puff murmuring with… Read More “Big Poppa” by The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
Five Star Jamz 