The weird thing about the “Notorious” biopic that spawned this soundtrack (Bad Boy) is that the late Notorious B.I.G. didn’t really need an image rehab. His complexities all played out in his clever, detailed rhymes sometimes playful, sometimes self-loathing, sometimes struggling father, sometimes all-out playa.It’s all on display on the “Notorious” soundtrack, built around some Biggie Smalls hip-hop classics “Hypnotize,” “Juicy” and “Warning” and the impressive demos “Microphone Murderer” and “Guaranteed Raw,” which show how he dominated the battle raps on the streets of Bed-Stuy and how he landed a record deal.
Supporting Biggie’s songs are new tracks from some of his followers. Jay-Z’s “Brooklyn Go Hard” is a thrill, as his rhymes bounce over a menacing synthesized dirge and Santogold’s mesmerizing vocals on the hook. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony let their intricate vocals wind through “Notorious Thugs.”
And Jadakiss has a touching, free-flowing conversation with his friend on “Letter to B.I.G.,” letting him know what has come after his death. “I could go on for a year about how it’d be if you were still here,” Jadakiss starts. “Rappers is more commercially successful now, but their hearts are a lot weaker.”
It’s almost as poignant as the remix of “One More Chance” with Biggie’s son, CJ Wallace, rhyming in unison with his father. The soundtrack to “Notorious” has some notable holes no “Big Poppa,” no controversial “Who Shot Ya?” to name a few but what’s here is a first-rate reminder of the greatness of The Notorious B.I.G.