Reviews4.5 Mics - Slammin' - "...READY TO DIE, the debut from Brooklyn's own Biggie Smalls (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.), echoes the attitude in full Ghettovision color, showing us that the true `American way' is to hustle for yours...", Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's.", Ranked #5 in Vibe's "Top 10 rap albums" - "...Fans knew that from this debut that Biggie was indeed a born winner...", Ranked #133 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "Almost single-handedly, Biggie shifted the focus back to East Coast rap.", Ranked #27 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s.", 3 Stars - Good - "...the natural rapping, clever use of sound effects and acted dialogue, and concept element (from a baby being born at the start to the fading heartbeat at the end) set this well apart from the average gangsta bragging...", Ranked #38 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll., Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century, 4 Stars Out of 5-"A Funky, Hard-Nosed Chronicle of a Death Foretold.", 4 Stars - Excellent - "...With his prodigious, often booming voice overwhelming the track, he sweeps his verbal camera high and low, painting a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene..."