Notorious B.I.G. releases 'Big Poppa'

Why it matters

"Big Poppa" came out as the second single from Ready to Die on December 20, 1994. The producers were Puffy and Chucky Thompson. The beat samples the Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets" and lets the Isleys' bass and synth carry the entire record while Biggie sings (kind of) the hook over the top. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is one of the most-played radio rap songs of the entire 1990s. The lyrical conceit is Biggie's slow-tempo seduction routine, delivered with the same deadpan confidence he brought to the harder Ready to Die material. "To all the ladies in the place with style and grace" is the kind of opening line that should not work and does, because Biggie's voice settles into the Isley sample and tells you to relax. The song was nominated for a Grammy. The video, with Biggie at a club in a Coogi sweater, is in the canon. You have heard "Big Poppa" at a function. You will hear it again. It is the song the function plays.