Published at 11:58 AM on January 8, 2009

By Michael Saba

Bad Boy Records preps Notorious soundtrack

Ever wonder why the hip-hop self-aggrandizement du jour seems to be "best rapper alive"? Possibly because the rappers many consider the best aren't, well, alive. Christopher Wallace, loved and hated by many as the Notorious B.I.G., is one such icon. A biopic on his life is due out next week, so naturally there's a soundtrack to go with it.

The center tile in this mosaic is the Kanye West-produced single "Brooklyn Go Hard" featuring Jay-Z and Santogold (Hova seems to be working on a fusion of Lil Wayne's squeal and Jamaican patois for parts of this one.) "Letter to B.I.G" by Jadakiss is the album's other single, and CJ Wallace turns in a remake of "One More Chance / The Legacy." Aside from B.I.G. classics like "Kick in the Door" and "Warning," the soundtrack will also feature never-before-released material cribbed from Biggie's demo vault like "Guaranteed Raw" and "Microphone Murderer."

Notorious opens in theaters Jan. 16, and the soundtrack hits retail stores and the web on Jan. 13. A two-disc edition of the soundtrack will be available at Target, featuring a special documentary DVD. Tracklisting:

1. Notorious Thugs (feat. Bone Thugs 'N Harmony)
2. Hypnotize
3. Notorious (feat. Lil Kim & Puff Daddy)
4. Juicy
5. Party & Bullshit
6. Warning
7. One More Chance / Stay With Me (Remix)
8. Brooklyn Go Hard (feat. Jay-Z & Santogold)
9. Letter to B.I.G. (feat. Jadakiss & Faith Evans)
10. Kick in the Door
11. What's Beef
12. The World is Filled (feat. Too Short & Puff Daddy)
13. One More Chance / The Legacy (Remix) (feat. CJ Wallace & Faith Evans)
14. The Notorious Theme
15. Microphone Murderer (Demo)
16. Guaranteed Raw (Demo)
17. Love No Ho (Demo Original Version)

Related links:
News: Jamal Woolard to play Notorious B.I.G. in biopic
List of the Day: Five Movies to Get Excited About in 2009
Rolling Stone: The unsolved mystery of the Notorious B.I.G.

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