| Artist | The Notorious B.I.G. |
|---|---|
| Cover | Duets- The Final Chapter.jpg |
| Released | December 20, 2005 |
| Recorded | 1992–1997 (The Notorious B.I.G.'s vocals & 2Pac's guest vocals) 2004–2005 (Production, guest vocals, and mixing) |
| Genre | Hip-hop |
| Length | 73:19 |
| Label | Bad Boy · Atlantic |
| Producer | Diddy (exec.) · The Notorious B.I.G. (exec.) · Atticus Ross · Chink Santana · Clinton Sparks · Coptic Sounds · Danja · DJ Green Lantern · Dre & Vidal · Eminem · Havoc · Jazze Pha · J-Dub · Jonathan Davis · Just Blaze · LV · Mario Winans · Reefa · Scott Storch · Scram Jones · Sean Cane · Static Major · Stevie J · Suga Mike · Swizz Beatz |
| Prev year | 1999 |
| Next year | 2007 |
Duets: The Final Chapter (sometimes referred to as The Biggie Duets) is the second posthumous album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released by Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records in the UK on December 19, 2005, and in the US on December 20.[1] The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 438,000 copies in its first week, trailing behind the debut of Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough and the high sales of Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable.[2] In the UK, it reached No. 13 following the release of the lead single "Nasty Girl". It is his second posthumous album to be certified platinum by the RIAA.[3]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[5] |
| HipHopDX | 1.5/5[6] |
| Pitchfork | 4.2/10[7] |
| PopMatters | 3/10[1] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| Slant Magazine | [9] |
| Spin | F[10] |
| Stylus Magazine | B−[11] |
| USA Today | [12] |
The album received mixed reviews from critics. Peter Relic of Rolling Stone commented that the title was inaccurate because the guest artists often overshadowed Biggie, adding that the appearances lacked substance.[8] Andy Kellman of AllMusic rated the album 2.5 out of 5.[4] Soren Baker of the Los Angeles Times gave it two stars out of four, while Steve Jones of USA Today gave it a perfect four-star rating.[12]
Method Man was a vocal critic of the album, stating that "they got niggas on that album Big would have never rocked with, for real." He highlighted that he was the only guest rapper Biggie intentionally chose for his debut album, Ready to Die.[13]
Singles
"Nasty Girl" was released as the lead single on October 11, 2005. Featuring P. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge, and Avery Storm, the song reached No. 1 in the UK, where it stayed for two weeks, becoming Biggie's first number-one single in that country.[14] In the US, it peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Track listing
Notes
- signifies a co-producer
- signifies an additional producer
Sample credits
- "It Has Been Said" contains excerpts from:
- "Kick tn the Door", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Chris Martin, and Jalacy Hawkins.
- "Victory", performed by Puff Daddy, written by Sean Combs, William Conti, Steven Jordan, Jason Phillips, Trevor Smith, and Christopher Wallace.
- "Spit Your Game" contains excerpts from:
- "Notorious Thugs", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Steven Jordan, Anthony Henderson, Byron McCane, and Steven Howse.
- "My Ship Is Coming In", performed by Walter Jackson, written by Joey Brooks.
- "Get Your Grind On" contains excerpts from "My Downfall", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Carlos Broady, Sean Combs, Darryl McDaniels, and Nashiem Myrick.
- "Living the Life" contains excerpts from:
- "Take Time to Tell Her", performed by Jerry Butler, written by Jerry Butler and Marvin Yancy.
- "Let Me Get Down", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Barry White, Deric Angelettie, Trevell Coleman, Melissa Elliott, and Craig Mack.
- "1970 Somethin'" contains excerpts from "Respect", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Diana King, and Harry Wayne Casey.
- "Nasty Girl" contains excerpts from "Nasty Boy", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, and Steven Jordan.
- "Living in Pain" contains excerpts from "Blue Sky and Silver Bird", performed and written by Lamont Dozier.
- I'm with Whatever" contains:
- excerpts from "Ready to Die", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Osten Harvey, Jr., and Barbara Mason.
- an interpolation from "Halloween", performed and written by John Carpenter.
- "Beef" contains excerpts from:
- "My Other Love", performed by Bunny Sigler, written by Phillip Hurt, Bunny Sigler, and Kay Tabata.
- "What's Beef", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Nashiem Myrick, Burt Bacharach, Carlos Broady, and Hal David.
- "Hustler's Story" contains excerpts from "You'll See", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace and Nasheim Myrick.
- "Breakin' Old Habits" contains excerpts from "Young G's", performed by P. Diddy, written by Christopher Wallace, Rashad Smith, Shawn Carter, Kelly Price, Todd Gaither, Oliver Lain, and Burton Smith.
- "Ultimate Rush" contains excerpts from "Drugs", performed by Lil' Kim, written by Christopher Wallace, Kim Jones, and Isaac Hayes.
- "Mi Casa" contains excerpts from "Friend of Mine", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Osten Harvey, Jr., Black Mambo, Ronald Bell, Robert Bell, Dean Taylor, Dennis Thomas, Meekaaeel Muhammed, Claydes Smith, Earl Toon, and George Brown.
- "Hold Ya Head" contains excerpts from:
- "Johnny Was", performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers, written by Rita Marley.
- "Suicidal Thoughts", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace and Robert Hall.
- "Just a Memory" contains excerpts from:
- "You're Nobody", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Steven Jordan, Ethram Lopez, Jean Louhsdon, Billy Preston, and George Johnson.
- "Come On", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Robert Hall, Don Black, Charles Aznavour, Gerry Goffin, and Michael Masser.
- "Wake Up" contains excerpts from "If I Die Before I Wake", performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace, Deric Angeletti, Henri Charlamagne, Dwight Grant, O'Shea Jackson, Eric Matlock, and Robert Ross.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 63 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) | 146 |
| US Billboard 200 | 52 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 11 |
References
- ^ O'Neil, Tim (January 20, 2006). "The Notorious B.I.G.: Duets: The Final Chapter". PopMatters. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ "Blige's 'Breakthrough' Bows At No. 1". Billboard. December 28, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ^ "American album certifications – The Notorious B.I.G. – Duets: The Final Chapter". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ^ Kellman, Andy (December 20, 2005). "Duets: The Final Chapter - The Notorious B.I.G.". AllMusic. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ Michael Endelman (2005-12-23). "Duets: The Final Chapter Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ "Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final Chapter". HipHopDX. January 24, 2006. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
- ^ Fennessey, Sean (January 3, 2006). "Duets: The Final Chapter - The Notorious B.I.G.". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
- ^ Relic, Peter (January 12, 2006). "The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final Chapter". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-05-14. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ Henderson, Eric (2005-12-20). "The Notorious B.I.G.: Duets: The Final Chapter". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
- ^ "SPIN Feb 2006". Spin. February 1, 2006. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
- ^ Inskeep, Thomas (2006-02-08). "The Notorious B.I.G. - Duets: The Final Chapter - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ Jones, Steve (2005-12-20). "The Notorious B.I.G., Duets: The Final Chapter". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Williams, Lauren 'Bobby Pen'. "9 times Method Man stole the show with a feature verse". REVOLT
- ^ "Notorious B.I.G.". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
External links
- Official website (archived)