Biggie Smalls (real name Christopher Wallace) was an exciting musician who created exceptional music. Discovered by Diddy and signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, his debut album, Ready To Die, is still considered a classic and a must-listen for any true hip-hop fan.
Released in 1994, Ready To Die was the biggest album of the year and, alongside Illmatic, marked the strength of East Coast rap music. Only a year after its release, it surpassed double-platinum status, and some still consider it the best hip-hop album of all time.
The 1994 project was ranked number one on Rolling Stone’s list of the 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time and was so due to its iconic tracklist. The lead single, ‘Juicy’, is considered by many as one of the best hip-hop tracks ever made. The Grammy-nominated second single ‘Big Poppa’ is another one of Ready To Die’s shining stars.
However, although the previously mentioned tracks were extremely successful in a commercial capacity, there is one track from the album that sparked speculation upon its release.
At the end of the track ‘Respect,’ fans hear a skit that involves Wallace talking to an unnamed woman. Listeners hear the Brooklyn lyricist convincing her to do something she doesn’t want to do, and eventually, the talking gives way to sounds of slurping.
In a 2009 interview with the Huffington Post, Diddy admitted that the skit was not faked and that Wallace actually received oral sex in the studio. Diddy called the studio sessions “decadent”, explaining, That’s [the ‘Respect’ skit] a joint that I just wanted to make authentic. So I had a friend of mine who, you know, made sure my friend [Notorious BIG] was ‘alright’. And they became friends!”
He concluded, “It was just some young, reckless rock star-type stuff. It was almost like Motley Crue – they probably had people round like that!” You can listen to ‘Respect’ in the video below.
