From Pasadena to Medina: Mister Cee's "The Best of Notorious B.I.G."
Caring about contemporary music is particularly difficult on a Monday. Last night, I attempted to trudge through an iTunes clogged with random demo's, middling efforts from bands who released one song that I liked a year ago, and uh, The Streets's George Orwell spaceship grime record released only to iPad users. Within five minutes, I was saying fuck the world and nodding off to old Ennio Morricone soundtracks. Today, it's Mister Cee's ancient Best of Biggie tape, which operates almost as well as Adderrall. There is nothing like the combination of Super Cat indicting bumboclaats, Biggie shouting out Mark Jackson, and raw raps over "Atomic Dog" samples.
If you liked Cee's Best of Mobb Deep tape that I posted last week, consider this the prequel. Released one year earlier, this was an instant Canal St. classic, the result of impeccable curatorial ability, smooth transitions, and the sort of unspoken understanding that comes when comes when you spent the previous year associate producing Ready to Die. Accordingly, there are few cameos, soundtrack appearances, and posse cuts left out. What's most striking is Biggie's consistency. Chris Wallace's legacy is largely secured by his two classic albums and his impact as the first great post-LL rapper who was able to strike a perfect balance of street appeal and pop sensibility. But for the most part, the Cee tape features the lyrical Lyricist kicking lyrics out my larynx. This is how you go from mixtapes to bitches feeding you grapes.
Tracklist below the jump.
Download: ZIP: Mister Cee-Best of Biggie (Left-Click) ZIP: Mister Cee-Best of Biggie (10th Anniversary Edition)
Tracklist: 01 Freestyle Live At Mister Cees 02 Real Love (Remix) 03 Buddy X (Remix) 04 Party And Bullshit 05 A Buncha Niggas (Original) 06 Dolly My Baby (Remix) 07 Jam Session 08 The What 09 For My Niggaz (Remix) 10 Let’s Get It On 11 I’m Just Playin 12 Cunt Renaissance 13 Da B Side 14 All Men Are Dogs 15 Madison Square Garden Freestyle 16 Live At The Palladium 17 Who Shot Ya? 18 Can’t You See 19 Real Niggaz (All Verses) 20 Players Anthem (Original & Remix) 21 Get Money (Original & Remix) 22 One More Chance (Original & Remix)