The Notorious B.I.G.

Released: September 13, 1994

Songwriter: Kevin Scott Dominic Owen The Notorious B.I.G.

Producer: Darnell Scott

[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right? (Uh)
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side (Yeah)
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side (Yeah)
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?

[Verse 1]
Remember back in the days when niggas had waves
Cazal shades and corn braids?
Pitching pennies, honeys had the high-top jellies
Shooting skelly, motherfuckers was all friendly
Lounging at the barbecues, drinking brews
With the neighborhood crews hanging on the avenues
Turn your pages to 1993
Niggas is getting smoked, G, believe me
Talk slick, you get your neck slit quick
'Cause real street niggas ain't having that shit
Totin' TECs for rep
Smoking blunts in the project hallways
Shooting dice all day
Waitin' for niggas to step up on some fightin' shit
We get hype and shit and start lightin' shit
So step away with your fistfight ways
Motherfucker, this ain't back in the days
But you don't hear me though

[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?

[Verse 2]
No more coco-levio one, two, three
One, two, three, all it is to me is a mystery
I hear you motherfuckers talk about it
But I stay seeing bodies with the motherfuckin' chalk around it
And I'm down with the shit, too
For the stupid motherfuckers want to try to use Kung-Fu
Instead of a MAC-10, he tried scrappin'
Slugs in his back and that's what the fuck happens
When you sleep on the street
Little motherfuckers with heat wanna leave a nigga six feet deep
And we coming to the wake
To make sure the crying and commotion ain't a motherfucking fake
Back in the days our parents used to take care of us
Look at 'em now, they even fuckin' scared of us
Calling the city for help because they can't maintain
Damn, shit done changed

[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?

[Verse 3]
If I wasn't in the rap game
I'd probably have a ki, knee-deep in the crack game
Because the streets is a short stop
Either you're slingin' crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot
Shit, it's hard being young from the slums
Eatin' five cent gums, not knowing where your meal's coming from
And now the shit's getting crazier and major
Kids younger than me, they got the Sky brand pagers
Goin' out of town, blowing up
Six months later, all the dead bodies showing up
It make me wanna grab the nine and the shotty
But I gotta go identify the body
Damn, what happened to the summertime cookouts?
Every time I turn around, a nigga gettin' took out
Shit, my mama got cancer in her breast
Don't ask me why I'm motherfucking stressed, things done changed

[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?

[Outro]
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed on this side
Remember they used to thump, but now they blast, right?

Considered by many to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, The Notorious B.I.G. was a major figure in both hardcore hip-hop and 90’s pop music until his murder in 1997 at age 24. He’s best known for his #1 hits “Hypnotize” and “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems,” his top 10 hits “One More Chance (Stay with Me Remix)” and “Big Poppa,” and his iconic early single “Juicy.”

In addition to his crossover hits, Biggie is known for innovative multi-syllabic lyricism and creative storytelling techniques, heard on critical favorites like “Warning,” “Suicidal Thoughts,” “Ten Crack Commandments,” “I Got A Story To Tell,” and “Gimme The Loot.”

As a teenager, Brooklyn native Christopher Wallace started rapping as Biggie Smalls, the name of a mobster character in the 1975 action comedy Let’s Do It Again. He recorded a demo with local Bed-Stuy DJ 50 Grand, which caught the attention of Mister Cee, who was well-known as Big Daddy Kane’s DJ. Cee introduced his demo to the industry, landing him a spot in The Source’s coveted “Unsigned Hype” column in the magazine’s March 1992 issue. Sean “Puffy” Combs, a successful A&R, also heard the demo and signed Big to Uptown Records.

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