Go back to previous topic
Forum nameThe Lesson
Topic subjectI doubt that was the case. Keep in mind the song had already
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=3033463&mesg_id=3033489
3033489, I doubt that was the case. Keep in mind the song had already
Posted by soulfunk, Mon Jul-19-21 08:46 AM
been out with Puffy and the Lox in 96, and Kim and Big's verses were added later. On Big's verse his energy and cadence match the Jackson 5 sample on that switch up, not the gritty, stipped down regular beat. Big had all kinds of different voice personas - if he recorded his verse over the regular beat he likely would have gone for something more in his lower register like his voice on 10 Crack Commandments, or Unbelievable. Instead of that his verse on AATB is that high energy, higher vocal register tone like he used on Mo Money Mo Problems, which fits the Jackson 5 sample switch up perfectly.

Complete side note - to me it's Big's verses on those more commercial type hits that really separate him from other MCs in his category. There's plenty of rappers who could spit on the gritty beats, but if you put them over a commercialize single like Hypnotize, Mo Money Mo Problems, Big Poppa, the switch up beat on AATB, etc. they sacrifice their skill and dumb it down in an attempt to reach the masses (or they just never spit on commercial verses, likely because they don't have the ability Big had to be himself over those beats.) Biggie on the other hand would still spit interesting rhyme schemes, with witty takes, and would switch up his voice to fit while maintaining his skill and quality.