I remember exactly where I was when they announced that B.I.G. had passed on March 9th, 1997 - I bet you do too - I was in my dorm room at Hofstra University. The report flashed across the screen and I ran to my boy’s room and said “Yo, they killed Big!” I walked back to my room and we just watched the screen in disbelief. I also remember going to Numbers Records in early March (the second location on Myrtle Avenue) to pick up a few random records, but my man slid me an early (official) copy of ‘Life After Death’ instead - I gladly paid the few extra dollars for that double disc. I’ve accepted that it was God’s plan to take B.I.G. and all the other artists we’ve lost over the years, but if you go back and listen to ‘Life After Death,’ you will hear how much range B.I.G. had as an artist. You can credit Puff for having a vision and Stevie J for his extensive production, but B.I.G. put the pen to the pad and brought it all to life. For that alone, you have to appreciate what an incredible album it was and let go of the idea that it could have been condensed into one CD - nah, to me it’s partly that range that puts him on the list for G.O.A.T. consideration, even without the extensive catalog most people argue about (like it's his fault). Rest in Peace, The Notorious B.I.G.