An Analysis Of Christopher Wallace's Juicy

Superior Essays
I had a great time in MUS 1014 listening to the variety of songs that Peter Mercer-Taylor provided. If there was one song that I wish he could have discussed, it would be “Juicy” by Christopher Wallace a.k.a. Biggie Smalls. The reason was that during the rap unit, Taylor offered a variety of rap songs to us during the 1980s and the new millennium. However, I only recalled him playing only one rap song from the 1990s: Snoop Doggy Dog’s “Serial Killa”. I think it would have been nice if he offered another song during the same decade. To me, “Juicy” would have been a great candidate. Released in 1994 from the album Ready to Die, “Juicy” became a breakthrough hit for Biggie. For production, he sampled the song “Juicy Fruit”, made by Mtume to provide …show more content…
Throughout the verse, he is reminiscing the times that he looked up to other rap artists and DJs like Salt-n-Peppa, Heavy D and Marley Mal. He also talks about his current situation; to him, he is becoming phenomenal. He’s going from someone who “eats sardines for dinner” to having his own crib and fortunes. On every verse, Biggie ends it by saying: “And if you don’t know, now you know, nigga”. This line is perhaps the most recognizable of all. I interpret that Biggie wants his listeners to actually know who he really is: a 22-year-old aspiring rapper looking to be the next big thing. If they don’t know the struggles he’s been through, then they do …show more content…
It made a huge impact in the rap industry, especially in the east coast. The revival of East Coast Hip-Hop clashed with the popularity of Gangsta Rap and other forms of rap found in the west coast, creating a rivalry. Unfortunately, the rivalry proved to be deadly as Biggie was murdered three years after the release of “Juicy” at the age of 24. The legacy of the song still lives on, and many current rappers cite Biggie Smalls as one of their inspirations. For that reason, I believe that the song could have been a great example for Peter Mercer-Taylor to include during our

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