The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die almost immediately put the Brooklyn wordsmith into conversations about the genres most witty and lyrical MC's. The album showcased his cadence, melodic flow and clever lyricism, but there was a trio appearances that predate Ready To Die, and helped to build anticipation for the groundbreaking debut.

1. 'Real Love' (Hip-Hop Club Remix) - Mary J Blige (1992)

From Mary J's debut, What's The 411?, "Real Love" is her breakout hit. The remix by Puff Daddy and Daddy-O of Stetsasonic introduced the world to The Notorious B.I.G. who was credited as Big E. Smalls (he went through a few name changes and spellings in his early career). His opening line, "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane/It's Mary J, ain't a damn thing changed" was our intro to the robust voice and husky vocal tone that would be key in Biggie's appeal as an MC. Our ears were open for this new up and coming MC.

2. Super Cat - 'Dolly My Baby' Feat. Mary J. Blige, B.I.G., Puff Daddy, And Jesse West (1993)

Less than a year after blessing us on the "Real Love" remix, Biggie appeared again with Mary J., Puff Daddy, and Jesse West on the remix of Super Cat's "Dolly My Baby". Over a loop of "Watermelon Man" by The Headhunters, Biggie drops his intro line "I Love It When You Call Me Big Popp-a", the show stopp-a, the rhyme dropp-a". This line would be used for the hook of "Big Poppa" from Ready to Die less than a year later.

3. 'Party & Bullshit' - BIG (1993)

The soundtrack for 1993's Hip-Hop comedy, Who's The Man contained hits from Jodeci, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Buju Banton, and House Of Pain. The classic soundtrack also contained Biggie's first solo release, "Party & Bullshit", which was credited to BIG.

Over a Jazz track BIG dropped ill lyrics like, "I Was a terror since the public school era/ Bathroom passes, cutting classes, squeezing asses/Smoking blunts was a daily routine since 13/ A chubby nigga on the scene/ I used to pack the trey-deuce and the deuce-deuce in my bubble goose/ Now I got the MAC in my knapsack/ Lounging black, smokin' sacks up in Ac's and Sidekicks/ With my sidekicks rockin' fly kicks". The chanted hook was borrowed from 1970's "When The Revolution Comes" by The Last Poets.

1994 would bring us Ready To Die, a flag in the ground for east coast Hip-Hop, which had taken a hit due to the rise of other regional styles.