NEW YORK, NY (Atlantic Records ) - Rap legend the
Notorious B.I.G. continues to live on with the forthcoming release of "THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. DUETS: THE FINAL CHAPTER." The posthumous, all-star album is slated for release by Bad Boy Records on November 29th. Today,
September 26th, AOL MUSIC is hosting the exclusive premiere of the first track to be released from "...THE FINAL CHAPTER," as part of its First Listen program. Entitled "Hold Ya Head," the song is a duet with another musical legend, the late great Bob Marley. Produced by Clinton Sparks, the dramatic, poignant track features a sample from the Marley song "Johnny Was." "Hold Ya Head" is available at https://www.aolmusic.com for 24 hours before anywhere else.
"THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. DUETS: THE FINAL CHAPTER," will feature duets between Biggie and some of music's greatest vocalists and MCs. In addition, the tracks are all brand-new, created by many of the industry's top producers. The extraordinary line-up of superstars will be announced shortly. The package will also include a DVD featuring never-before-seen performance footage, celebrity interviews, and vintage Biggie videos. Born in Brooklyn, the Notorious B.I.G. was Bad Boy Records' flagship artist. From his earliest verses on tracks like Craig Mack's "Flava In Your Ear Remix" and Mary J. Blige's "Real Love," it was clear to the hip-hop world that a new king had been crowned. Biggie solidified his position with his classic 1994 debut, "READY TO DIE." Through the combination of Sean Combs's powerful production and B.I.G.'s vivid rhymes, the disc brought Bad Boy to the forefront of East Coast hip-hop, and went on to be certified 4x platinum by the RIAA.
Tragically, the superstar's life was cut short in March 1997, when he fell victim to a shooting. His already completed second set, a double album entitled "LIFE AFTER DEATH," was released soon after his death, and featured the smash hits "Hypnotize" and "Mo' Money Mo' Problems." A true masterpiece, it is considered by many to be the greatest hip-hop album of all time, with an unforgettable track list crafted by Frank White. It entered the charts at No 1 and went on to be certified 10x platinum, earning a rare Diamond Award from the RIAA.
1999 saw the release of "BORN AGAIN," an album of previously unreleased B.I.G. material. It also entered the charts at No 1 and was certified RIAA double platinum. The highly anticipated "THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. DUETS: THE FINAL CHAPTER," marks the first release of new B.I.G. material in six years.
AOL Music First Listen offers exclusive world premieres of new songs by the biggest names in music, before they are available anywhere else at https://www.aolmusic.com. Since the program's launch in January 2002, fans on AOL Music have been the first to hear songs from top artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, Destiny's Child, Usher, Britney Spears and more. AOL Music (https://www.aolmusic.com) is a leading online destination for music, reaching nearly twenty million music fans a month* through a rich array of programming, products and services that make it easy to discover, experience, listen to and buy music online.
