Life After Death, Rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as Christopher Wallace, second and final studio album released shortly after his death on March 25, 1997. The album was released under Bad Boy Records as a double album, which features a variety of notable artist such as The Mad Rapper, Diana Ross, R. Kelly, The Lox, Angela Winbush, Jay Z, Mase, hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lil Kim, R&B group 112, Too Short, DMC of Run-DMC, founder of Bad Boy Records and Biggie Smalls creative partner Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs. Life After Death is considered one of the best rap albums to date, following Biggies first studio album Ready to Die. To listeners it seemed as if the album was a prophecy, because of the violence and predicament of death that occurred on the album became the rappers fate. It is also looked at as a diss record that threw a lot of subliminals towards other rappers; specifically Tupac, rival West Coast rapper. With the help of hip hops top producers, who consist of: Sean “Puffy” Combs, Steven Jordan, Nashiem Myrick, Carlos Broady, Deric Angelettie, Ron Lawrence, Daron Jones, Havoc, Easy Mo Bee, Buckwild, Chucky Thompson, Kay-Gee, Clark Kent, The Mad Rapper, DJ Premier, and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan; Life After Death was able to achieve diamond status where it is still relevant to the hip hop world today. Ready To Die, rapper Biggie Smalls first studio album, is referred to by hip hop analyst of all acumens as one of the best classical hip hop albums recorded. That kind of appraisal can be a challenge to follow up to, which is why it took the rapper three years to release his second and final album, Life After Death. Unlike his first album, which was a street hustlers bible for preaching about the hood and struggles in Brooklyn, Life After Death, is told from a perspective that has gotten to dwell in the finer things. Biggie has now matured since his last album, but he does still loves to tell stories about his old drug selling days, how he still keeps “protection” in case of any misunderstandings, and although he does not mention any names you get the idea of who he is talking about. The rappers second album is also referred to as “cinematic,” because of his impeccable lyricism you get the vivid picture that he is describing. Some of his strongest tracks on the album, which include: the intro to the album, Somebody’s Gotta Die, Hypnotize, Kick in the Door, I Love the Dough, What’s Beef?, Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems, Niggas Bleed, I Got a Story to Tell, Miss You, Going Back to Cali, Ten Crack Commandments, Sky’s the Limit, and You’re Nobody (‘Til Somebody Kills You) are still sampled and referenced today for their amazing storytelling or the genius they convey incorporating R&B; another popular genre of the 90s. The intro to Life After Death, produced by Sean Combs and Steven Jordan, is a compilation of tracks, interludes, and skits from the rappers first studio album. Most of what is heard off of the intro is a skit of producer Sean Combs talking to and unconscious Biggie Smalls [The08]. It picks up to where Ready To Die left off in a big and prophetic way. In the beginning you know that the rapper has passed from the long beep that would be sounded on a heart monitor, although you already know where this story is going it is not told from a ghost perspective. The opening sets up “what could have been,” if the rapper had not of died he would see all of the success that his album has garnished. Diddy even mentions in the intro to the fallen rapper, “Too much unfinished business, It ain’t over” implying that we as listeners are about to witness something amazing [Aut13]. Somebody’s Gotta Die, produced by Sean Combs, Nashiem Myrick, and Carlos Broady, is the second track on the album and if not implied by the title, one of the more violent ones as well. On this track the rapper tells a story of revenge, rapping about how one of his friends has been murdered a