MUSIC REVIEWS
The Notorious BIG - Duets: The Final Chapter
David Allun Jones
How depressing a thought is it to realize that with old, recycled verses, Biggie Smalls still trumps the “We Are The World”-sized cast featured on this latest smudge on the, sorry 2Pac, greatest rapper of all time’s legacy? On Duets, a pointless “remix album” that revamps the Notorious BIG’s verses with a new school touch, it becomes incredibly clear how little rappers have evolved since the man’s murder in 1997 and how far an increasingly irrelevant Diddy will go to secure a spot on the Billboard charts.
Rumored about for years, the Duets concept at once seemed like a cool idea. Even though it was widely known that Biggie didn’t leave behind much unheard material, there was some interest into how this project was going to actually work. Unfortunately, the long-awaited project is a disappointing listen for the true B.I.G. fan. Executive producer Diddy grabs seemingly every rapper or producer behind a hit record within the past twelve months and throws them all together for an overcrowded opus that so dilutes the honoree, any casual fan would be left wondering why the man was so important to warrant such hysteria in the first place.
Leaving the rapper’s biggest hits alone, Duets compiles flipped verses from Biggie’s album tracks and cameo appearances, and splices them over uninspired, contemporary beats with the guest rappers trying their best to keep up with the deceased rapper’s lyrical dexterity. Much of the album’s faults lie in the nagging notion that most of these beats Biggie wouldn’t of touched, at least in the way they are presented. Master of the club banger, it would’ve been exciting to see how a new Biggie verse would’ve elevated the C-level cred of “Nasty Girl”, a cheap knock off of Angie Stone’s bubbly “I Wanna Thank Ya”. But it’s safe to say that the man would’ve probably stayed clear away from the ill-fated rock-rap mash-up of “Wake Up” featuring Korn.
Some moments do arise that pique interest, though: “Whatchu Want” brings Biggie and Jay together again for a semi-enjoyable “Brooklyn’s Finest” reunion; “Spit Your Game” neatly chops up the Life After Death favorite “Notorious Thugs”, Southern-style; and “Hold Ya Head” teams Biggie up with another deceased icon, Bob Marley, for a creepy blending of “Suicidal Thoughts” and “Johnny Was” that’s pure magic. Other beyond the grave collabos with Big Punisher (“Get Your Grind On”) and 2Pac (“Living In Pain”) also prove memorable. But such stand-out moments are overshadowed by phoned in contributions from major acts (Nelly, Missy Elliott, Snoop, Eminem, Ludacris, R. Kelly) and more wooden performances by Diddy that pop up everywhere else.
If marketed as more of a tribute album instead of the misleading Duets title, especially since a couple tracks feature nothing more than an ad-libs from the hefty rapper, this whole project would’ve been a little easier to swallow. Instead we’re given a immoral, embarrassing cash-in that’s no more a Biggie album than the Pussycat Dolls are a singing “group”. Diddy should just let his best friend rest in peace and devote his hustle to throwing huge parties and being fabulous, it’s the only thing he seems good at nowadays.
