While gangster rappers hell-bent on staying alive sprung up wherever you cared to look in the Nineties, the rest of them didn’t make music that sounded as fun. On Life After Death Biggie made practically every song feel like a party. Even darker moments, like “Long Kiss Goodnight” and “My Downfall” had beats that sounded like the happy pings that go off when you’re playing a video game well.

Continue reading here and find out how Biggie’s classic second album changed one Midwestern life and how the politics of 2017 change the way we hear it now.

Photo Credit: Everett Collection