Hip-hop fans are buzzing after the resurfacing of Notorious B.I.G.’s original Life After Death tracklist, which includes unreleased songs and unexpected collaborations. The rare tracklist, shared by Instagram account 92 Bricks, dates back to a January 1997 listening party when the album was still titled Life After Death… Til Death Do Us Part.
Unreleased Tracks and Tracklist Changes
At the exclusive event, 28 tracks were played—four more than the final 24-song release. However, one track appeared twice, possibly due to a printing error, suggesting the album was originally meant to have 27 songs. The early version of the album not only had a different sequence but also featured five never-before-heard tracks, including Once Upon a Time featuring Fat Joe, Stayin’ Alive, and three untitled songs produced by RZA, Easy Mo Bee, and DJ Clark Kent.
A track called Spanish Fly was also left off the final album, though it’s believed to be an early version of a song that later appeared on Black Rob’s Life Story in 2000. Additionally, some of Life After Death’s biggest songs originally had different titles: Mo Money Mo Problems was initially called Comin’ Out, Notorious Thugs featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was listed as Bones Track, and Going Back to Cali was originally named Mo Bounce.
Fat Joe Confirms Studio Sessions with Biggie
While Biggie’s estate has yet to confirm the authenticity of this tracklist, Fat Joe has previously spoken about recording music with Biggie before his tragic passing in 1997. He revealed they had worked on approximately five songs together for a joint project, which allegedly included diss tracks aimed at 2Pac.
“It’s verified by Puff Daddy and everybody,” Fat Joe once stated, though he acknowledged that the diss tracks were never meant to be released—especially given the tragic deaths of both Biggie and 2Pac.
A Lost Chapter in Hip-Hop History?
The emergence of this tracklist has reignited discussions about Biggie’s creative vision and what could have been. Fans are now left wondering whether these unreleased songs will ever see the light of day or if they remain locked away in the archives of hip-hop history. Either way, this discovery only adds to the legend of The Notorious B.I.G., cementing his legacy as one of the greatest storytellers in rap music.
