BIG hiring an actor for his baby picture album cover was corny

[Rapmastermind]

http://fukkyeahthenotoriousbig.tumblr.com/

Yo, that baby photo from Ready To Die is ICONIC. It really captured Blacks from the 60's/70's with the whole Afro. I loved all the photos with him:

Here is the video of the Kid coming out about the album cover says his favorite songs are "Juicy" and "Big Poppa":

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RzeZ0-fA4[/ame]

 

[Rapmastermind]

Daaamn...didnt know about that Howard Hanger album.

But I did know Nas bit alot of his album covers from Weldon Irvine.

The God's son one is slighty a reach but I see with the whole "Blue" tint. Some has speculated NaS "N!gger" cover was inspired by this photo:

 

[Rapmastermind]

Ready to die is better than illmatic

I think they are even/equal but Biggie did it better over more songs. Both Classics and both changed the game. NaS changed the game of Lyricism and bringing together multiple popular producers. Big album brought the East back to the forefront in the mainstream and revolutionized the Commercial/Street formula. "ILLmatic" is perfect and has zero filler. "Ready To Die" had only a couple average songs but it's a complete storytelling album that has a beginning middle and end. They both only had 1 guest appearance where AZ and Method Man both went in to the point that it's debatable if they got Biggie and NaS. I love both albums. Biggie did outshine NaS in 94 though. But with that said, Biggie did admit that he thought NaS was going to win Lyricist of the Year at the Source Awards. Also for the record:

"Ready To Die B-Sides and Remixes" >>>>>>> "ILLmatic B-sides and Remixes"

 

[Doin2Much Williams]

Why are you blaming BIG? Like he went out and commissioned a little infant to a photoshoot?


BadBoy/A&R/PR/Marketing/Producers-Diddy - they are responsible for everything on that album except the lyrics.


Laff out loud at the thought of Chris Wallace putting out a statewide search for most adorable baby.


GTFOH.


.

 

[Rapmastermind]

Wayne's cover was FORCED and LOL @ adding the tattoo's. The Carter IV graduation pic was funny though. But Kendrick's Cover was dope:

Common's wasn't that bad either:

 

[Rapmastermind]

Also LOL @ anyone from Wu talking about Biting:

Rappers get inspirations and influences from a lot of things in life. Talk about throwing rocks in glass houses.

 

[the cac mamba]

:hate::hate:

 

[Bugsmoran]

Biggie didn't copy anything. "Ready To Die" album cover made perfect sense. "ILLmatic" album cover worked for NaS. Ghost and Rea are why people are still on this biting covers mess. NaS has taken covers obviously and the "ILLmatic" cover isn't original. NaS father was a Jazz artist, I'm sure he seen that record growing up.

whats the name of the Jazz singer Nas copied the illmatic cover from?

 

[Rapmastermind]

whats the name of the Jazz singer Nas copied the illmatic cover from?

His name is Howard Hanger and he was a popular Jazz artist. There's no way NaS Dad wouldn't know who he was. Wither or not NaS knew of this cover only he could tell it but the fact is "ILLmatic" cover is clearly influenced by this cover.

 

[muzikfrk75]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWPYF6tnoy8[/ame]

 

[mobbinfms]

I think they are even/equal but Biggie did it better over more songs. Both Classics and both changed the game. NaS changed the game of Lyricism and bringing together multiple popular producers. Big album brought the East back to the forefront in the mainstream and revolutionized the Commercial/Street formula. "ILLmatic" is perfect and has zero filler. "Ready To Die" had only a couple average songs but it's a complete storytelling album that has a beginning middle and end. They both only had 1 guest appearance where AZ and Method Man both went in to the point that it's debatable if they got Biggie and NaS. I love both albums. Biggie did outshine NaS in 94 though. But with that said, Biggie did admit that he thought NaS was going to win Lyricist of the Year at the Source Awards. Also for the record:

"Ready To Die B-Sides and Remixes" >>>>>>> "ILLmatic B-sides and Remixes"

Quality comparison of the two albums. I can't dispute any of this.

But did Illmatic have any real B-sides? And the Tip remix of World is Yours is godly. The other remixes pale in comparison to the originals. With the exception of the Ain't Hard to Tell remix which is also godly.

 

[mobbinfms]

Why are you blaming BIG? Like he went out and commissioned a little infant to a photoshoot?


BadBoy/A&R/PR/Marketing/Producers-Diddy - they are responsible for everything on that album except the lyrics.


Laff out loud at the thought of Chris Wallace putting out a statewide search for most adorable baby.


GTFOH.


.

I wonder how much input, if any, either one had on the concept of their respective covers? Given that both had cover designers...

 

[jimbean]

I wonder how much input, if any, either one had on the concept of their respective covers? Given that both had cover designers...

Here is the answer

From Cey Adams

I: How do you address somebody that is resistant to input. That album art, in many ways, is a part of the art and half of the story. How do you approach somebody that feels you’re kind of impeding in their world?

CA: It’s funny. Immediately one of the things that comes to mind is, and I know I’m bouncing around and not sticking to Def Jam, when I think about the “Ready to Die” cover that Martin and I did for the Notorious B.I.G. debut release, that’s the first thing that comes to mind. When we came up with the idea of using this baby on the album cover, that was something that I don’t think B.I.G. really understood. All these years later it’s obviously an iconic image and it all seems like it was created with music in mind. That was something that wasn’t an idea that he originally was sold on. I think it was something that had to be kind of pushed on him a little bit; because most people want themselves on the cover, especially for the first release. And in the end, it ended up being a great cover. It ended up really defining who was he was as an artist and when people referred to him they always go back to that record. I was just going to say for me that was very interesting and that was certainly a situation where the art led the music in some ways and then the music ended up coming back around to help define the art.

I: Was the thinking behind that almost this ironic presentation of the title?

CA: Exactly.

I: And, then of course, even a further meaning obviously is as we move in to later in the years when he met his untimely demise?

CA: Right, exactly. That’s a perfect example of art imitating life. It’s really ironic. It’s interesting and painfully sad all at the same time.

 

[mobbinfms]

His name is Howard Hanger and he was a popular Jazz artist. There's no way NaS Dad wouldn't know who he was. Wither or not NaS knew of this cover only he could tell it but the fact is "ILLmatic" cover is clearly influenced by this cover.

Clear as day. Props on this. I had no idea.

 

[Rapmastermind]

Quality comparison of the two albums. I can't dispute any of this.

But did Illmatic have any real B-sides? And the Tip remix of World is Yours is godly. The other remixes pale in comparison to the originals. With the exception of the Ain't Hard to Tell remix which is also godly.

Don't get it twisted, I feel the "ILLmatic" b-sides and remixes were dope. The 10th Anniversary remixes were only OK. Here's the full "ILLmatic b-sides/Remixes":

B-side
"Halftime" (Butcher Remix)DJ Bubie (4:41)
"Halftime" (Butcher Instrumental) (4:42)

A-Side
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (Remix)"
[edit]B-Side
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (Remix Instrumental)"

A-Side
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Stink Mix)"
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Stink Instrumental Mix)"
[edit]B-Side
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Laidback Remix)"
"It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Laidback Instrumental Remix)"

B-Side
"The World Is Yours" (Tip Mix) (4:29)
"The World Is Yours" (Tip Mix Instrumental) (4:30)

B-side
"One Love" (LG Main Mix) (5:33)
Produced by The LG Experience
"One Love" (LG Radio Edit) (4:29)
"One Love" (LG Instrumental) (2:06)
"One Love" (One L Main Mix) (5:43)
Produced by Godfather Don and Victor Padilla
"One Love" (One L Radio Edit) (4:48)
"One Love" (One L Instrumental) (1:55)

10th Anniversary Remastered Remixes

1. "Life's a bytch (Remix)" (feat. AZ) Rockwilder 3:00
2. "The World Is Yours (Remix)" Vibesmen 3:56
3. "One Love (Remix)" Nick Fury 5:09
4. "It Ain't Hard to Tell (Remix)" Nick Fury 3:26