Ready to Die

Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.; it was released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records. The label's first release, the album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. Recording for the album took place during 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal. Ready to Die is his only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered just days prior to the release of his second album, Life After Death (1997).

Ready to Die was released to critical acclaim and became a commercial success, achieving gold certification. In 1995, after the release, the album became a certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the album has reached a certified quadruple platinum with sales. It was significant for revitalizing the east coast hip hop scene, amid West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance. The album's second single, "Big Poppa", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Ready to Die has been regarded by many music critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. In 2003, it was ranked number 133 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, making it the third highest hip hop album on the list after It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Raising Hell. In 2006, Time included it on their list of the 100 greatest albums of all time.