Life After Death – The way BIG wanted it

[Mr Matt]

Whether you love him or hate him I think it’s difficult to deny BIG’s potential to become one of the greatest rappers of all time had history gone a different way. I say potential even though some rate him as one of the best because I don’t think he really peaked or released any of his own music that he wanted his way. I find it difficult to listen to any of his BadBoy material without wondering what would have been released if Biggie truly had the power to decide, probably the music would be more hardcore contrary to Puffy’s pop over sampling style. I’m sure that he would not have chosen to have his manager ad-libbing over his lyrics or appearing in all his music videos to self serve his own career, something that continues long after his death

I’ve always considered Life After Death to be one of those “if only” albums, it has several excellent tracks but was totally ruined by Puffy using it as a way to gain solo career attention after BIG died, I’ve never actually found out what Puffy went back and changed but I’m guessing that he never featured so prominently throughout the entire album like he does on the released version. And what’s with all the fucking long skits joined onto the beginning of songs so the only way to skip them is to hold fast forward??

So I was wondering if anybody had info about the original take of the album or has ever remade an OG version by removing Puffy and all the associated BadBoy bullshit that was added to this potentially awesome album?

If I had my way I would change the following for starters;

Disk 1
1. Life After Death
2. Somebody’s Gotta Die (Remove Puff at very end)
3. Hypnotize (Remove Puffy’s ad Libs)
4. Kick in the door (Remove Intro)
5. Fuking you tonight (Remove Puffy’s ad libs)
6. Last Day
7. I Love the dough (Remove intro)
8. What’s Beef (Remove Puffy’s ad libs and talking)
9. B.I.G.
10. Mo money Mo problems (Biggie guest appearing on his own album! Where is BIG’s verse from and is there an full OG track for it?)
11. Niggas Bleed
12. I Got a Story to tell

Disk 2
1. Notorious Thugs (Remove Puffy’s “We forgive you…”)
2. Miss U (Remove Intro)
3. Another
4. Going back to Cali (Remove Intro)
5. 10 Crack Commandments
6. Playa Hater
7. Nasty Boy (Remove Intro and Puffy’s ad libs)
8. Sky’s the limit (Remove Intro)
9. The world is filled (Is this the OG??)
10. My Downfall (Remove Intro and Puffy talking on outro)
11. Long Kiss Goodnight (Remove Puffy’s bullshit all through the song)
12. You’re nobody (til somebody kills you) (Remove Puffy’s intro and ad libs)


Does anybody have the original tracklist for the intended album or know everything that was changed?

 

[Bobby Sands]

Well, on the original of Long Kiss Goodnight Puffy isnt roaring all through the song

 

[FroDawgg]

i believe that mo money was supposed to be on it and that big's verse was for it. i heard that cease instead of puff was supposed to be on it, but it was always a LAD song.

the sticker on the album says that it was released the way it was completed before his death.

 

[linx]

So basically, you don't want Puffy on there at all.

 

[Fataldawg]

Whether you love him or hate him I think it’s difficult to deny BIG’s potential to become one of the greatest rappers of all time had history gone a different way. I say potential even though some rate him as one of the best because I don’t think he really peaked or released any of his own music that he wanted his way. I find it difficult to listen to any of his BadBoy material without wondering what would have been released if Biggie truly had the power to decide, probably the music would be more hardcore contrary to Puffy’s pop over sampling style. I’m sure that he would not have chosen to have his manager ad-libbing over his lyrics or appearing in all his music videos to self serve his own career, something that continues long after his death

I’ve always considered Life After Death to be one of those “if only” albums, it has several excellent tracks but was totally ruined by Puffy using it as a way to gain solo career attention after BIG died, I’ve never actually found out what Puffy went back and changed but I’m guessing that he never featured so prominently throughout the entire album like he does on the released version. And what’s with all the fucking long skits joined onto the beginning of songs so the only way to skip them is to hold fast forward??

So I was wondering if anybody had info about the original take of the album or has ever remade an OG version by removing Puffy and all the associated BadBoy bullshit that was added to this potentially awesome album?

This was a good post :thumb:

But no i dont know anything if all the songs were really meant for the album the way big wanted it.

 

[aLDo]

Biggie was alive when most of the album was completed, so i guess he was satisfied with the majority of it. I also like the album as is, but i agree that minus Puff and some intros it could've been better and if someone has the time and resources they could probably make the album quite similar to what u suggested by usin' the followin':

-The original versions of at least 7 tracks (not including the demo version of "Hypnotize") which had to be redone due to sampling issues. Most, if not all, of the og versions didn't have Puff on them, whether he was intended to be added to them later on i don't know.
-The alternative version of "Goin' Back To Cali" that has a talkbox intro similar to "California Love" i.e. "New york city, knows how to party" which is alot shorter.
-Also alot of the acapellas available from this album don't have Puff's adlibs, so someone could easily remove him from most of the tracks...

I don't think this has been done before...

 

[Bobby Sands]

i believe that mo money was supposed to be on it and that big's verse was for it. i heard that cease instead of puff was supposed to be on it, but it was always a LAD song.

I always thought Ma$e replaced lil cease on that song.

 

[DeeezNuuuts83]

In my opinion, I think Life After Death was pretty close to how B.I.G. wanted it. From what I've heard and read, it was Ready to Die that was more overseen by Puffy. Since it was the record that would make or break Bad Boy Records, Puff knew that it had to be a commercial success, so he encouraged Biggie to make songs like "Big Poppa" while he wanted to make more gritty songs. So after going double platinum, I think Biggie understood what mix of tracks you needed to be commercially successful while keeping some sort of a street edge to the music, plus since he was already a household name, I feel that Puff gave him a bit more breathing room in terms of creativity since it would sell no matter what. Apparently, Puff's main involvement music-wise was assembling the production team. But Biggie definitely had more input and control this time around, which is pretty much confirmed in the VIBE biography of him (Unbelievable). I think there was a part where it says that Puff hated "Kick in the Door" (or at least the beat), but Big insisted that the keep it, and it ended up on the album. While I'm sure that Big didn't intend for Puff to have all these adlibs on the album, I'd say that it was pretty close to how he wanted it, minus a few sampling issues here and there.

 

[gerrycurl21]

I just hate listening to My Downfall. Listening to that shit in your car, and you have to shit through 1.5min of skits

 

[Fataldawg]

I just hate listening to My Downfall. Listening to that shit in your car, and you have to shit through 1.5min of skits

The Kick In The Door intro is played out too.. Damn Mad Rapper!

 

[Mr Matt]

So basically, you don't want Puffy on there at all.

Basically, no. I would pay ten times to have all of Biggie's material sans Puffy. I read ages ago that BIG said he would have done anything to make it which I interpreted as meaning joining BadBoy and releasing a completely different sound to what he wanted.

Biggie was alive when most of the album was completed, so i guess he was satisfied with the majority of it. I also like the album as is, but i agree that minus Puff and some intros it could've been better and if someone has the time and resources they could probably make the album quite similar to what u suggested by usin' the followin':

-The original versions of at least 7 tracks (not including the demo version of "Hypnotize") which had to be redone due to sampling issues. Most, if not all, of the og versions didn't have Puff on them, whether he was intended to be added to them later on i don't know.
-The alternative version of "Goin' Back To Cali" that has a talkbox intro similar to "California Love" i.e. "New york city, knows how to party" which is alot shorter.
-Also alot of the acapellas available from this album don't have Puff's adlibs, so someone could easily remove him from most of the tracks...

I don't think this has been done before...

Which seven OG tracks are you talking about and are they leaked? And what's the demo version of Hypnotize like??

I used to have some OG version of Long Kiss Goodnight which I think had Pac mixed into it, is the real RZA produced OG available?

 

[Crunkadelic]

I download an "My Downfall" OG mix from the Only Built 4 Down Linx forum a few weeks ago. this version didnt have Puffy or DMC, Biggie was doing the chorus himself.

 

[Crunkadelic]

And BTW, theres a remix to Nasty Boy with a Biggie hook that wasnt used in the album version. IT goes something like: "Freakin you hoes like Jodeci, if I was dead broke you wouldnt notive me..."

And theres the clean version to "Fuck You Tonight" called "Love You Tonight.

 

[KAMIKAZI]

Biggie was alive when most of the album was completed, so i guess he was satisfied with the majority of it. I also like the album as is, but i agree that minus Puff and some intros it could've been better and if someone has the time and resources they could probably make the album quite similar to what u suggested by usin' the followin':

-The original versions of at least 7 tracks (not including the demo version of "Hypnotize") which had to be redone due to sampling issues. Most, if not all, of the og versions didn't have Puff on them, whether he was intended to be added to them later on i don't know.
-The alternative version of "Goin' Back To Cali" that has a talkbox intro similar to "California Love" i.e. "New york city, knows how to party" which is alot shorter.
-Also alot of the acapellas available from this album don't have Puff's adlibs, so someone could easily remove him from most of the tracks...

I don't think this has been done before...

Too bad I'm not too much of a Biggie fan, I could do this and make money lawl.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Originally Posted by Mr Matt
I used to have some OG version of Long Kiss Goodnight which I think had Pac mixed into it, is the real RZA produced OG available?

Heres the og,but quality is shit:

http://rapidshare.de/files/34974392/Long_Kiss_Goodnight_OG.mp3

 

[aLDo]

Which seven OG tracks are you talking about and are they leaked? And what's the demo version of Hypnotize like??

I used to have some OG version of Long Kiss Goodnight which I think had Pac mixed into it, is the real RZA produced OG available?

I think this is whats leaked so far, i'm not sure about how much of each track is available and all are not CDQ:

-Last Day
-I Got A Story To Tell (Full)
-Nasty Boy
-My Downfall
-Long Kiss Goodnight
-Long Kiss Goodnight (Version 2 w/ Cappadonna)(Full)
-You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Kills You

The demo version of "Hypnotize" has no Puffy and no Pam Long, Biggie does the choruses himself. It will probably never be made available so i wouldn't include it in the list of og's...

 

[Big Will]

isnt there going back 2 cali the extended verrsion

 

[Jeremy]

So basically, you don't want Puffy on there at all.

Sounds good.

 

[Mr Matt]

Heres the og,but quality is shit:

http://rapidshare.de/files/34974392/Long_Kiss_Goodnight_OG.mp3

Thanks for that. This is completely different to the OG version I had and this right here shows exactly what I want and why I want it, if you compare this to the released version it's completely obviously that Puffy has gone back on put himself and all his bullshit over tracks that he wasn't orignally on.

Is this track available in full and better quality?

I recently heard the promo version of "I got a story to tell" and it's similar to the released so I'm not too bothered about that as I love the released version anyways but I am eager to collect the rest of the OG album.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I like the way Puffy screams in the background while Biggie starts rapping in the second and third verse in LKG,but he ruins the songs he appears on like The World Is Filled and Mo Money Mo Problems with his garbage rapping..

Not sure if that og is available in better quality.