Notorious Thugs
{{short description|1997 song by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Notorious Thugs
| type = song
| artist = The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
| album = Life After Death
| released = March 25, 1997
| recorded =
| genre =
| length = 6:07
| label = {{hlist|Bad Boy|Arista}}
| writer = {{hlist|Christopher Wallace|Bryon McCane|Anthony Henderson|Steven Howse|Sean Combs|Steven Jordan}}
| producer = {{hlist|Combs|Stevie J}}
}}
"Notorious Thugs" is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. featuring American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from the former's second studio album Life After Death (1997). It was produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs and Stevie J. The song contains a sample of "More Than Love" by Ohio Players.
Background
The Notorious B.I.G. wanted to collaborate with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on the song and tried to contact them, but they initially ignored him and did not want his offer because of Biggie's feud with fellow rapper 2Pac. Biggie then asked rapper Fat Joe to help connect him with the group. Joe convinced Bone Thugs-n-Harmony by suggesting the advantages of such collaboration and was eventually able to fulfill Biggie's request,{{cite web |title=Iconic Records S1 EP6 - Notorious Thugs {{!}} The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t4tHbkgt40 |website=YouTube |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=June 5, 2023}} with the group's manager Steve Lobel setting up the collaboration.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2015/05/bone_thugs-n-harmonys_manager.html|title=Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's manager reflects on making of Biggie-collaboration 'Notorious Thugs'|first=Cleveland com|last=Troy L. Smith|date=May 27, 2015|website=cleveland}} Biggie studied Bone Thugs' signature flow before recording his verse at home.{{cite web |title=Bizzy Bone: Biggie Studied Our Flow for "Notorious Thugs" Verse |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0aYxiWJLyM |website=YouTube |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=December 11, 2014}}{{cite web |title=Steve Lobel tells DJ Mustard the Story Behind Bone Thugs & Biggie Smalls Record |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6n4CX4qchY |website=YouTube |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=May 25, 2015}} According to Lobel, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony finished their contribution to the song in less than one and a half hour.
Composition
The song features a keyboard sample in the production and rapid-fire rapping, with verses from The Notorious B.I.G., Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/albums/album/200792/review/6067339/life_after_death |title=Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 1, 1997 |access-date=March 5, 2024 |last=DeCurtis |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony DeCurtis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514055828/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/notoriousbig/albums/album/200792/review/6067339/life_after_death |archive-date=May 14, 2009 |url-status=dead}} B.I.G. refers to 2Pac with the line "so-called beef with you-know-who", calling their feud "bullshit", while Bone Thugs-N-Harmony also disses Three 6 Mafia.{{cite web |title=DJ Paul Questions if Bone Thugs Dissed Three 6 Mafia on 'Notorious Thugs' (Part 7) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nBET7_LdjE |website=YouTube |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=October 12, 2017}}
Critical reception
Cheo Hodari Coker of Los Angeles Times praised Biggie's performance, writing he "uses Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapid-fire rhyme patterns so effectively that he could have become the group's sixth member."{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-26-ca-42095-story.html |title=A Memorable 'Life' on Its Own Merits |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 26, 1997 |access-date=March 5, 2024 |last=Coker |first=Cheo Hodari |author-link=Cheo Hodari Coker}} Michael A. Gonzales The Source commented that Biggie "holds his own" with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and "That ambitious track alone reveals Smalls' diversity as an MC and his desire to be viewed as the greatest in his field."{{cite journal |url=http://thimk.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/life-after-death-5-mics.jpg |title=Notorious B.I.G., Life After Death ... Till Death Do Us Part (Bad Boy/Arista) |journal=The Source |issue=92 |date=May 1997 |access-date=March 5, 2024 |last=Gonzales |first=Michael A. |page=79}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1997)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphopairplay|36|artist=The Notorious B.I.G.|rowheader=true|access-date=March 5, 2024}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|title=Notorious Thugs|artist=Notorious BIG feat. Bone Thugs N Harmony|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1997|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=April 2, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|title=Notorious Thugs|artist=The Notorious B.I.G.|award=Silver|relyear=1997|certyear=2023|id=18669-2295-1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{The Notorious B.I.G.}}
{{Bone Thugs-n-Harmony}}
Category:The Notorious B.I.G. songs
Category:Bone Thugs-n-Harmony songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Sean Combs
Category:Song recordings produced by Stevie J
Category:Songs written by the Notorious B.I.G.
Category:Songs written by Bizzy Bone
Category:Songs written by Krayzie Bone
Category:Songs written by Layzie Bone
Category:Songs written by Sean Combs