Born Again [Vinyl]

Where would Christopher Wallace/Biggie Smallz/Notorious B.I.G. be today had the rap wars not claimed the large (both livin' and size) rapper? It's the eternal James Dean question--how much of the myth comes from the tragedy and how much of the tragedy comes from the myth. These questions can never be answered to any satisfaction, though it's only fair to recall that Biggie had sold millions of records and seen the top of Billboard's album and pop singles charts long before he went out bigger than his life. On BORN AGAIN, the whole rap world turns out to pay tribute at this latest reverent, raucous wake. Biggie still eerily fills the center of this rap universe with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, and other luminaries from both coasts and various camps filling in the rhymes around him. Tracks like the Duran Duran-sampled "Notorious B.I.G." and "Dead Wrong" are perfect showcases for Biggie's patented lumbering and relaxed baritone flow. BORN AGAIN proves not whether the man would stand atop the hip-hop hierarchy had he lived, but reveals the amount of love felt for the Notorious B.I.G. and reminds us of what he was capable if only...