Life After Death (Deluxe Version)

After the existential drama of Ready to Die not only made him a platinum seller but guaranteed his status among many hip-hoppers as the greatest MC ever, the Notorious B.I.G. followed with a star’s album. Life After Death focused as much on celebrating (“I Love the Dough”) and griping about his newfound status (“Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems”) as on recalling hard earlier days. The violent details of “Kick in the Door” and “Notorious Thugs” are seen from a cinematic remove, while “What’s Beef” is mostly a pro forma boast until Biggie drops the line about killing children. A tough good humor shines through on the shaggy-dog “I Got a Story to Tell” and the rapper’s new-school redefinition of Quiet Storm (“F***in’ You Tonight”). But even with the often lush production, myriad cameos (Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim) and general air of triumph, there’s no escaping the fact of young Christopher Wallace’s murder shortly before his sophomore album’s release. In the end, an unintended eeriness carried the day, as on “Miss U,” which borrows a Diana Ross ballad to toast a dead homie: Right-hand man Diddy would repeat the formula months later with “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute to B.I.G. himself.