The Best of Biggie Was One Of The Best Mixtapes Ever!

I remember working in Westview Mall (Baltimore, Md.) in 1995. Times were a lot different than now. Maybe that is because I was so young at the time, but things were very care-free. The music that was being made then, seemed to come from a place of pride. The artist seemed to do what they were doing because they cared about the art form and had a desire to recognized as the best.

      

I first heard Biggie aka The Notorious B.I.G. back in 1993. He rapped on this Supercat record "Dolly My Baby" that was very hot. I remember the music video and everything.

   

   

One of my childhood friends, DJ Concrete was the first person I knew that had the ‘Best of Biggie’ mixtape. At the time, I thought it was way too early for an artist with only one album, to have a ‘best of tape’. I had never even heard of anything like that. Biggie was in demand and the tape that Mister Cee put together was heating up the streets. Whenever we played it in the store, people asked to purchase it - and we damn sure sold it!

The way that Biggie rocked songs like “Real Niggas Do RealThangs” and "The Wickedest Freestyle" set him apart from all artist during that time. Even though I was listening to mostly West Coast and Down South music, Biggie and Bad Boy Records were in heavy rotation in the Electronics & More record shop. This mixtape spread to everywhere and helped carry fans over until he dropped his last studio album, "Life After Death."

Whenever I hear the Notorious B.I.G.’s music, I think about my time in a small record store in Baltimore with Supa DJ Big L, DJ Unique, DJ Kenny B, DJ Concrete, Ricardo, DJ Equalizer, Chase Traxx, Stephanie, Angie, Maine-Izm and countless customers arguing about music. We all agree though, that Biggie was a Great MC who is still missed to this day.