Today in Hip Hop history, one of the greatest careers in music began when the Notorious B.I.G. released his debut single, “Party and Bulls*it.” Originally released as the fourth promotional single from the soundtrack for the film Who’s The Man?, the success of this track sparked a wildfire that blazed across the industry, decimating all competition in its path.
Biggie Smalls, in some circles, is regarded as the best to ever grace the microphone and although his accolades and lyrical prowess are enough to support many arguments, he wasn’t always at the top. Around the time of his debut, Biggie Smalls wasn’t much more than a hustler from Brooklyn who could spit. Lacking the fan base outside of his hometown, there was little to no national exposure of his ability. It wasn’t until his 1993 Howard University homecoming performance, set up by former student Puff Daddy, that Biggie was able to grab the hearts and ears of supporters outside of New York and begin to rise to power.
The famous hook to this timeless record was inspired by a poem entitled “When The Revolution Comes” by Last Poets member Abiodun Oyewole, who personally had mixed feelings about its use. He explained in a later interview:
“When we rapped, it was all about raising consciousness and using language to challenge people. When I wrote [about] ‘party and bulls*it’ it was to make people get off their ass. But now ‘party and bulls*it’ was used by Biggie, used by Busta Rhymes, but in a non-conscious way. That’s difficult for us to deal with.”
Regardless of the minor controversy, this song grew to become an anthem of the early 90s and has been remixed by artists like Rita Ora, Lloyd Banks, Ratatat, Faith Evans, and Will Smith over the years. Take some time out today to listen to this historic single and appreciate the legacy it created.
