Even though his career was tragically cut short, the Notorious B.I.G. left a lasting impact on the culture, a legacy that began with the release of his debut album, Ready to Die. To commemorate the album's upcoming 25th anniversary, Amazon Music decided to explore Biggie's origin story in the new mini-documentary The Birth of Biggie: 25 Years of Ready to Die.
The nearly 9-minute mini-documentary features people who were instrumental in forging the foundation of Biggie's career. They include Mister Cee, who reconstructed Biggie's demo and submitted it to Matty C to be a part of The Source's "Unsigned Hype." The Biggie that Mister Cee met did not have the confidence that characterized his later persona, but he did possess the prodigious skill and lyricism.
"He was very shy when I first met him," Mister Cee remembers at the documentaries 2-minute mark. "Whenever he talked to me he'd either have his head up in the air with his eyes closed, or his head down with his eyes closed. But when he started rapping, it was like he became a different person."
In addition to candid anecdotes like Cee's comments, the documentary also features audio from Biggie himself, describing the making and purpose of his first album.
"I made the record for New York, but I want the world to hear it," Biggie says when talking about Ready to Die. "I want to be that one n***a that come in, present, and bow down like, ‘Thank you all,’ you know what I'm saying?"
The Birth of Biggie: 25 Years of Ready to Die is now available on Youtube. Amazon Music subscribers can also listen to the documentary's audio on their home and mobile devices via the Amazon Music app.
