Two and a half years before the album's release, the Notorious B.I.G., who had married Faith Evans, became East Coast's icon in the East Coast–West Coast rivalry and made guest appearances on albums by Jay-Z and Luther Campbell amongst others. The album was supposed to be released on Halloween in 1996, but Biggie was involved in a car accident in September 1996 which delayed the finalizing of the album. It was pushed back to 1997.Īs he explained on BET's Rap City, Biggie aimed to reach a wider audience with Life After Death, collaborating with a wider variety of artists than his debut. In addition to Bad Boy Records labelmates Mase, The LOX, 112, and label owner Puff Daddy, guests include Jay-Z, Angela Winbush, Too Short, Lil Kim, & Bone Thugs N Harmony. Production for the album was handled by DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Havoc, RZA, Stevie J and other members of Bad Boy's in-house production team, The Hitmen.Ī record with Bay Area rapper E-40 was not included on the final track listing. Q-Tip also submitted a beat for the album Biggie enjoyed the beat when it was played for him, however, the album had already been completed and turned into Bad Boy. The beat was later used for A Tribe Called Quest's song 'The Love', from their 1998 album The Love Movement. īiggie traveled to the West Coast in February 1997 to promote the album, and shoot the video for the lead single, 'Hypnotize.' Two weeks before its release, on March 9, the Notorious B.I.G. Was shot four times in a drive-by shooting and was later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.Ĭonflict with other rappers is a major theme throughout the album.

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