On April 2, 2014, Lee Hutson of The Impressions filed a multimillion-dollar copyright infringement suit against Combs, Bad Boy Records, and the estate of the late Notorious B.I.G. This decision was questioned by some legal experts: Anthony Falzone of the Fair Use Project at Stanford Law School criticized Combs and Bad Boy for not defending the legality of sampling and suggested that they might have refused to raise such a defense because they feared it could later imperil their control over their own music. Īlthough a fair use issue, Combs and Bad Boy never raised the legal concept of the fair use doctrine in their defense. All versions of the album released since the lawsuit are without the disputed samples. On appeal, the Sixth Circuit found the damages unconstitutionally high and in violation of due process and remanded the case, at which point Campbell reduced them by $2.8 million however, the verdict was upheld. The jury awarded $4.2 million in punitive and direct damages to the two plaintiffs, and federal judge Todd Campbell enacted an immediate sales ban on the album and tracks in question. On March 24, 2006, Bridgeport Music and Westbound Records won a federal lawsuit against Bad Boy Records for copyright infringement, with a jury deciding that Combs and Bad Boy had illegally used samples for the production of the songs "Ready to Die", "Machine Gun Funk", and "Gimme the Loot". It has been listed as among the best album covers in hip hop. The album was released with a cover depicting an infant resembling the artist, though sporting an afro, which pertains to the album's concept of the artist's life from birth to his death. Between the two stages, XXL writes that Biggie moved from writing his lyrics in notebooks to freestyling them from memory. In this stage, the more commercial-sounding tracks of the album were recorded, including the album's singles. After a brief period dealing drugs in North Carolina, Biggie returned to the studio the following year on Combs' new Bad Boy Records label possessing "a smoother, more confident vocal tone" and completed the album. When executive producer Sean "Puffy" Combs was fired from Uptown, Biggie's career hung in limbo, as the album was only partially completed. In these sessions, XXL magazine describe an "inexperienced, higher-pitched" Biggie sounding "hungry and paranoid". The first tracks recorded include the album's darker, less radio-friendly content (including "Ready to Die," "Gimme the Loot" and "Things Done Changed"). Biggie started recording his debut album in 1993 in New York, after making numerous guest appearances among his label-mates' singles around that time. In 1992, Biggie was signed to the Uptown Records label by A&R Sean "Puffy" Combs. In 1994, Biggie was 21 years old when he recorded the album. The album was recorded in New York City (mainly at The Hit Factory) in two stages during 19. In 2020, the album was ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It has been ranked by many critics as one of the greatest hip hop albums, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album was significant for revitalizing the East Coast hip hop scene, amid West Coast hip hop's commercial dominance.
In April 2018, Ready to Die was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Notorious B.I.G.'s lyrics on the album were generally praised by critics, with many praising his story-telling ability. "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. "Juicy", the lead single, peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and reached number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles. Three singles were released from the album: " Juicy", " Big Poppa", " One More Chance" and a promotional track of Biggie: "Warning". Ready to Die peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to widespread critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album Life After Death in 1997. It was recorded from 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The album features productions by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records.
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