Rolling Stone - 5/13/99, p.73
Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone - 12/11/03, p.128
Ranked #133 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "Almost single-handedly, Biggie shifted the focus back to East Coast rap."
Rolling Stone - 11/3/94, p.96
4 Stars - Excellent - "...With his prodigious, often booming voice overwhelming the track, he sweeps his verbal camera high and low, painting a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene..."
Spin - 9/99, p.132
Ranked #27 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."
Q - 12/94, p.153
3 Stars - Good - "...the natural rapping, clever use of sound effects and acted dialogue, and concept element (from a baby being born at the start to the fading heartbeat at the end) set this well apart from the average gangsta bragging..."
Uncut - p.128
4 stars out of 5 - "A funky, hard-nosed chronicle of a death foretold."
Vibe - 12/99, p.162
Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
Vibe - 6/02, p.109
Ranked #5 in Vibe's "Top 10 rap albums" - "...Fans knew that from this debut that Biggie was indeed a born winner..."
The Source - 10/94, p.79
4.5 Mics - Slammin' - "...READY TO DIE, the debut from Brooklyn's own Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.), echoes the attitude in full Ghettovision color, showing us that the true 'American way' is to hustle for yours..."
Village Voice (2/20/96) -
Ranked #38 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
Personnel: The Notorious B.I.G. (rap vocals); Diana King, Total (vocals); Method Man (rap vocals); Sybil Pennix (spoken vocals); Chucky Thompson (various instruments).
1. Juicy
2. Big Poppa
3. Warning
4. One More Chance
5. Unbelievable