Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. Featuring production from Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, the album was recorded in New York City and captures Biggie's experiences as a young criminal. It was his only studio album released during his lifetime; he was murdered shortly before his second album, Life After Death, came out in 1997.
The album includes a guest appearance from Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan and features singles such as "Juicy," "Big Poppa," "One More Chance," and the promotional track "Warning." Ready to Die was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, peaking at #15 on the Billboard 200. It revitalized the East Coast hip hop scene and is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album was certified 6× Platinum by the RIAA in April 2018 and was ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and 1st on their 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time in 2020. In 2024, it was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
