If you're like me you've heard some awful guest verses by some of the best emcees in the game. Almost every rapper has been outrhymed on his own album at some point. On the other hand, I don't remember ever running into a bad Biggie collabo. Big approached collaborations with the same grit and hilarity that blessed his solo tracks. To buttress my point, here are 10 Best Biggie Collaborations of all time.
1. "Brooklyn's Finest" (with Jay-Z)
(Album: Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z)A collaboration is supposed to be a balanced showcase with all parties making meaty contributions, not an opportunity for one star to shine. That's what makes "Brooklyn's Finest" such an epic collaboration.
2. "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" (with Craig Mack, LL Cool J, Rampage, & Busta Rhymes)
(Album: Project: Funk the World, Craig Mack)Fresh off the critical praise of Ready to Die, Big Poppa delivers a lyrical smackdown within the first 20 seconds of this all-star remix ("N***as is mad I get more butt than ashtrays"). Ah, the good ol' days when Puffy's role was limited to dancing in videos.
3. "The What" (with Method Man)
(Album: Ready to Die, Notorious B.I.G.)"Flows just grow through me/ like trees to branches/Cliffs to avalanches/It's the praying mantis/Deep like the mind of Farrakhan A motherf****n rap phenomenon."
Not to be outdone by the Wu-Tang's most flavorful MC, Biggie holds his weight with heavy punchlines too numerous to name. The lone collaboration on Ready to Die eventually became one of his best songs ever.4. "Real Love (Remix)"/"What's the 411" (with Mary J. Blige)
(What's the 411: The Remixes, Mary J. Blige)Biggie's exceptional performance on "What's the 411" upsets his microscopic presence on "Real Love," but both collabos are undeniable throwback classics.
5. "Only You" (Bad Boy Remix) (with 112 and Mase)
(Album: 112, 112)Whereas Big's debut single, 1992's "Cruisin'" failed to make an impression on the charts, his swaggerful verse on "Only You" helped push the 112 jam to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
6. "Dead Wrong" (with Eminem)
(Born Again, Notorious B.I.G.)On this posthumous mash-up, Frank White submits a gangsta recital about "spreading blood like mustard". Eminem matches Biggie's jaw-dropping rhymes with reckless references to "cannibalism" and "exorcism."
7. "Notorious Thugs" (with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
(Album: Life After Death, Notorious B.I.G.)Who knew Biggie Smalls could rock propane-fueled, melody-driven floetry a la Bone Thugs-N-Harmony? Credit also goes to Bone, the only rap group to have shared mics with both Biggie and 'Pac in their lifetime, for setting the pace. Literally.
8. "Runnin' (Dyin' to Live)" (with 2pac)
(Album: Tupac: Resurrection (OST), 2Pac)"Running (Dying to Live)" is a remake of a posse cut called "Running From the Police," which also features Pac and Big. Eminem reconstructs the track by incorporating a sample of Edgar Winter's "Dying to Live," as well as nuggets of Tupac and Biggie interviews.
9. "Victory" (with Busta Rhymes & Puff Daddy)
(Album: No Way Out, Puff Daddy & The Family) Equal parts paranoia and aggression, Biggie's verse on "Victory" is one of the brightest spots on No Way Out.10. "Player's Anthem (Remix)" (with Junior M.A.F.I.A.)
(Album: Conspiracy, Junior M.A.F.I.A.)Aside from storytelling and bragfests, party rap was also B.I.G.'s bread and butter. In fact the credits should read Notorious B.I.G. ft. Junior M.A.F.I.A.
