The Hip Hop community is honoring the late Notorious B.I.G. on the 25th anniversary of his death on Wednesday (March 9). Archival footage and pictures from his time on earth are circulating all over social media, but there’s one that has the culture talking.
Bronx rap legend Fat Joe shared a throwback picture of himself posted up alongside Biggie, Lil Kim, Diddy and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony back in the ’90s. In his caption, Joey Crack took credit for helping to orchestrate one of Biggie’s most famous records.
“Fun fact i got a call from BIG and he said joe i need your boys BONE on a song,” Joe wrote. “I said say no more BONE N BIGGIE BONE N BIGGIE. I love you BIG we will never forget you 25 years later we will never forget THE KING OF NY.”
The record Fat Joe is referencing is “Notorious Thugs,” the opener on disc two of Biggie’s second album Life After Death. The Bad Boy MC teamed up with Bone Thugs for the hard-hitting track, which was produced by Stevie J and Diddy.
During an interview with HipHopDX in 2015, Steve Lobel — who managed the Cleveland rap group — confirmed Joey Crack really did play a part in bringing the guys together.
“Fat Joe calls me and says ‘[Puff Daddy] is gonna call you. I think Puff had called Fat Joe because he knew I used to work with Fat Joe and we were really tight,” Lobel rememebered. “I worked with Fat Joe, also Big Pun. Puff called and said, ‘Big’s at the Record Plant he want to do a song with Bone.’ I said ‘Ok, let me round these guys up.'”
Fat Joe Claims He Started Recording Album With Biggie ... Most Of It 2Pac Disses
He continued, “That song was done in not even an hour and half by Bone. They went in there and laid their verses and left. I stayed thinking Big was gonna lay his verse, and I’m like sitting there wanting to be the report card. He didn’t do his verse. I left the Record Plant and Big passed.
“The song came out and I was like, ‘Wooahh Big killed it.’ I ran into Puff and he said, ‘It took Big a while to do that. He mastered that and really studied it.’ He just helped Bone on the East Coast…the East Coast was really fickle…. Bone and Biggie killed it and that was one of the biggest songs in Hip Hop, I feel.”
If Fat Joe’s involvement in “Notorious Thugs” wasn’t enough of a shocker, he revealed in an interview with Swizz Beatz and Timbaland last year that he and Biggie were working on a joint project together before his passing — and it was loaded with 2Pac disses.
“You know, I worked on an album with Biggie,” Joe said. “We cut about five songs together. He was like, ‘You the Latino don, I’m the Black don.’ And we was in that studio going crazy. It’s verified by Puff Daddy and everybody.”
He added, “I’m a keep it real, at the time, we were dissing Tupac a lot, and so that should have never seen the light of day. Which is respectfully so because, you know, they both passed on. But yeah, I worked with the B.I.G. for real.”
One of the best collabs of all time, Sad big and pac passed, could’ve eventually got something With Big, Pac and Bone on it.
Joe can take credit for it but anybody that thinks logically can clearly see it would have went down anyway especially once Biggie said that’s what he wanted.
I remember the first time I heard this song on the radio I got that euphoria type of feeling. Notorious Big and Bone Thugs N Harmony were 2 of the hottest rap artist at that time and of all times. Just don’t get that feeling anymore when it comes to hip hop and rap
This was the snippet teaser that urban radio would play leading up to the album drop, and it was amazing. Really the rest of the album was a letdown for how tight that snippet sounded. Biggie went the fuck off using their style, showing how great he was at mastering the rap shit.
Remember Gimme The Loot when he changed his voice throughout the song? Bunch of idiots calling him overrated FOH
Legendary song from Legendary rappers!! I would assume they would have done more together and possibly even went on tour together
well i remember in 95 or 96 at an award show (not source awards but more along the lines of soul train or bet) big was the presenter and bone was the winner (when the crossroads, 1st of da month were running thangs) so they had met each other (n likely had ways to get in to contact with each other other than thru Fat joe) before Big started or finished his second album….so once again Joe is making it about him lol just celebrate Big bro…i like joes music and have been checkin for him since fire water n jealou one’s envy came out…but he needs to stop making everything about him…..anyways, Notroisou Thugs one dope ass song n my homie T had a thumpin system in his ride so we used to be at parks n bumped the shit out it for a couple of summers n that song is still bangin AF today!
Classic non single rap song, with Biggie spitting rapid style flows and Bone coming in putting their flames to it. The 90’s were just different. By the way I think stevie j prod this song, Stevie has real talent. I would have love to heard more from Big and Bone produced by Stevie.
One of the most legendary collaborations in HipHop history. Were talking 95, 96, 97 Big and Bone were both Top 5 in terms of talent and success.