The Notorious B.I.G. released his debut album, “Ready to Die,” in 1994. It arrived on September 13 through Bad Boy Records, with distribution by Arista Records, and established Christopher Wallace as one of New York hip-hop’s major new voices.
Recorded in New York between December 1993 and June 1994, the album was shaped by producers including Sean “Puffy” Combs, Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, and Pete Rock. Its singles included “Juicy,” “Big Poppa,” and “One More Chance,” combining autobiographical storytelling, street realism, humor, and polished sample-based production.
A common mix-up is confusing the album’s release year with 1993, when much of it was recorded, or with 1996, when Wallace released his second and final studio album, “Life After Death.” “Ready to Die” came first and remains his debut.